


Good Fences Make Good Neighbors

by TheOneWhoStayed



Series: Open Your Heart [2]
Category: Twilight Series - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, BAMF Bella Swan, Bella Swan with a Backbone, Coven Dynamics, F/M, Gen, Half-Vampires, Implied Regency Era Romance, Mostly Canon Relationships except the tagged ones, One Shot Collection, POV Outsider, POV Outsider on the Cullens, Platonic Soulmates, Shapeshifting, This accidentally got an ongoing plot, Unreliable Narrator, Vampires, apparently, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-09
Updated: 2020-07-18
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:27:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 27,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25170862
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheOneWhoStayed/pseuds/TheOneWhoStayed
Summary: The sleepy town of Forks Washington has a population of  people who know everything about everyone. So when a new family moves into the old house off the forest road, it gets people talking.Some more than others.[Takes Place in my AU Where Bella and Carlisle have been Married since 1813 only this one focuses on the Quileutes POV]
Relationships: Carlisle Cullen/Bella Swan, Edward Cullen/Angela Weber, Leah Clearwater & Beau Swan
Series: Open Your Heart [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1801096
Comments: 26
Kudos: 136





	1. Quil Ateara III

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You may have noticed this is just a repost of the original Chapter 7 of the previous Story in this series. I felt it fit better here since this collection will be POV one shots of people aren't Cullens.

The world was quieter than it had ever been for Quil Ateara.

He was the third of his name, and a full 10 years old as he watched the solemn preparations being made for the gathering which was to be held on the beach.

"You must remember to stay near me at all times," His mother, Eileen, had been worried all morning. Actually, she had been fretting about the gathering since Chief Black had announced it a full week before.

"Father will be there, right?" Quil wondered as he knew that his father was one of the tribe's great protectors. He had seen the Wolf Spirit his father had joined with and knew that so long as he was around nothing could harm him.

The Pack had protected their land form Cold Ones forever and had even stopped some that he himself remembered hearing of.

"He will, but he and his Pack Brothers will be very busy signing the treaty with the Cullens and he will not have time to keep an eye on you Quil," his mother replied softly as she ran a hand through his hair.

It was almost already to his shoulders and Quil was proud of it since his mother had taught him how to comb it without it hurting from the tangles in the morning. Though they still treated him like a child, Quil was sure that he was very close to being an adult.

"I still don't get why I can't run and play with my cousins," Quil sighed, he understood that the Cullens were Cold Ones, but weren't they making a treaty with them because they promised not to hurt anyone?

Chief Black said they ate animals instead of people, and that meant that they could all be friends. So why was his mother so worried about the gathering?

"Because the Blood Drinkers may not intend to harm us, but there are still accidents Quil," she kissed his nose as she always did and he couldn't help but scrunch up his nose while closing his eyes as it made him feel like a baby when she did so.

"That is why only a small part of the tribe is attending," her voice was soft as she instructed him,

"Even if Ephraim trusts them, your father is still not sure that they are genuine so we'll have to make sure not to let our guard down."

Quil didn't quite understand but nodded in a yes, as he was worried that if he argued he would not be allowed to go. The Cullens would probably be the only Cold Ones he'd ever see up close, and if they were nice ones he didn't have to worry about being eaten.

His best friend Billy Black was scared of them even though it was his father who had decided to make them friends of the Tribe. Though, his mother kept reminding him that making a treaty didn't really mean they were friends but Quil still kind of hoped they would be.

The whole tribe was busy putting things together for the gathering, and signing of the treaty. Quil was happy to watch them all his older cousins as well as the members of the tribe he was not related to moved wood to the beach.

It wouldn't' start until the sun had set so the Cullens could come to the beach without showing the people of the town what they were. Quil knew the stories from long ago about how the Cold Ones had skin like fire in the day light and he wondered how they were able to live in town if they were so obviously blood drinkers.

"My papa says it's because the clouds cover up the sun so they can walk around," Billy informed him as they both sat legs folded as the men built the bonfire,

"He even says the Clan Leader is a Doctor and that's why nobody wants to go to town for medicine anymore."

"Whats the point of a treaty if we're not going to be friends?" Quil frowned and was still upset over his mother's order to stay near her once the sun set.

"It's so if they do hurt someone and the Pack has to stop them, the Cullens can't get mad at us. Papa is worried since there's more of them," Billy informed him wisely. He was a whole year older than Quil and always seemed to know everything.

Quil's mother said it was because he was nosy, but his father always added that all boys got into places and asked too many questions. In his opinion, Quil did a great job of holding back on most of his. Then again he wondered if he should ask more since he felt he didn't understand why they were even allowing the Cullens onto their beach of no one wanted them there.

Slowly the sun laid itself to rest and Quil was forced to find his mother. He was happy to find out that Billy too had been instructed to stay close to his mom, so Quil did not feel like so much of a baby at having to do so.

The Atearas, Clearwaters, Blacks, and Uleys all stood in wait as the light of the sun which protected them hid itself away. Quil folded his hand's into his mother's when Chief Black lit the bonfire. Their groups was small, compared to the rest of the tribe, but the 3 Wolves stood as a wall in front of them.

Quil stared into the night, watching and waiting with everyone else. He let out a gasp as whole group of people appeared between blinks. Then, as he truly saw each of them in the firelight he knew they were not people after all.

Each of the Cullens were so beautiful that something deep inside Quil shuddered and made him afraid. His hands clutched tighter to his mother who held him reassuringly.

When he was older, still young but already a man, Quil would look back on that moment and wonder if it was the powerful blood of the Wolf which made him fear their appearance. How each of them seemed almost exactly how the pale faced boys described angels.

There was 5 of them in total.

Chief Black introduced all of them to their small gathered families and Quil felt himself trapped as he stared at the boy with copper hair. The boy looked back and smiled for an instant but looked away before any other members of the group noticed.

Quil had missed their introductions but hoped to hear their names later when talks began. Though as he watched the strange blood drinkers he couldn't help but be surprised how many of them looked like children still.

They were older than him, but maybe not older than his cousin Sam Huautah who was a whole 15 years in total but was still called a child by everyone in the tribe.

Every single Cullen looked that age about, except for the leader who was very clearly an adult. The blood drinker in charge was blond with golden eyes that reminded Quil of a cat's as they glowed in the darkness. All of the Cold Ones had gold eyes, his father had said it was because they fed off animals.

Quil did not think they made him any more friendly looking than any of the other members of his Clan. There was a blonde girl, a boy with black hair that looked like he was as strong as Levi Uley with how big he was. The two of them seemed to be paying close attention to what Chief Black and their leader was saying.

Though the copper haired boy who had smiled at Quil appeared to be the most interested.

There was another girl with them though, she had hair that would have been brown if it didn't have so much red in it, and she had her arms wrapped around the leaders right one. It seemed a strange thing for a blood drinker to do, but Quil wondered if she was his daughter and was scared of the wolves like Quil had slowly been growing nervous in the face of actual blood drinkers.

As the talks began in depth, Quil felt his mind wandering, curious about how they could all be related, because the leader kept calling them all his family. He couldn't help but think that making your entire family Cold Ones was kind of mean, but if he made them eat animals it probably wasn't as mean as most others would be for it.

"How are they all related?" Quil whispered to his mother hoping that they didn't hear him, "Are they all his children?"

His mother looked as if she was about to laugh as she turned to glance at the Cullens. Quil followed her gaze and just barely saw the reddish brown haired girl glance his way with only her eyes. Her mouth looked tight but she continued to pay attention to Chief Black as he spoke about some natural border in the forests.

"The girl at his side is his Wife," Quil's mother whispered back slowly, "The rest of them were all changed by them, they aren't a family they just like to pretend they are."

"Oh," Quil frowned as he looked at them with the new information, "She must be older than I thought cause he's a grown up and she looks the same age as Sam."

"She probably was the same age as Sam," his mother played with his hair then, "But she is a Cold One and may be hundreds of years old. We do not know their ways of finding a husband.

"Now quiet so they do not hear us."

He knew that even if he asked more questions she'd not answer, so Quil just continued to look at the Cullens curiously from his side of the fire. After a little thinking, Quil supposed if she was actually a hundred it wasn't so odd that she was allowed to get married to the leader. She wasn't really Sam's age, she only looked it. Remembering Cold Ones were different he realized that she could even be older than the leader!

How strange they were!

The talks continued for a time before the leader shook Chief Black's hand and there were cheers across both groups.

Once the treaty was signed Quil was told to still remain close to his mother just in case. He watched as some of the older boys began to play on the beach with sticks. Jealousy at their freedom bubbled up inside of him but to was squashed down as Billy and his mother joined them.

Quil watched as the copper haired boy and the large one began fighting each other in the sand like his cousins did when they got rough while playing. He was surprised to see the blond girl leap into the fight, as all the girls he knew thought boys games were stupid and gross.

The leader of the Cold Ones stayed near the bonfire though and with him the girl that his mother was sure to be his wife. Quil watched them hold hands and begin to dance even though there wasn't any music being played. It was strange to see them move together and think that they were such dangerous creatures.

Even more surprising was when Chief Black and his wife joined them in the strange scene. Swinging each other around happily two different pairs.

Martha Black had married Chief Black when they had just turned into adults, according to his mother, he had Imprinted on her and that meant that no matter how mad or wild he got, even as a wolf, he could not hurt her because how much she meant to him.

Billy's mom was amazing and had even ridden on Chief Black's back on the day they were married.

To see them dancing next to the Cold Ones made Quil feel strange. He could not tell the difference between how they each looked at each other. If imprinting was so special and sacred, wasn't it strange that the Cullen Leader looked at his wife the same way that Chief Black gazed at his?

As he grew older he could not puzzle it out, how Carlisle Cullen seemed to love Bella Cullen with the same intensity that a Wolf Loves the missing pieced of him.

Even as he grew into a man, even as it was his turn to run with the pack, and especially when Quil Imprinted on his own beloved Molly he could not reconcile it.

Quil had decided not to think on it any more when he had decided to stop shifting in order to begin aging properly with his wife and family.

He knew that if the Cullens ever returned they would likely do so long after he'd passed on. So when the house in the woods down the forest drive which had been cared for meticulously over the years began to be renovated he couldn't help but feel shocked.

Never had he thought he would see them again, yet when word spread that a family of 9 had filled the house, the Councile of Elders Convened.

According to the Treaty they were to wait 21 days.

Symbolic of the 3 weeks it had taken for Ehpraim, Levi, and his own Father Quil Ateara the Second to track down the Cold Ones who had been killing the elk.

And when the second week finished, and Sam Uley phased he knew that it was truly them.

On the 22nd day, the Elders brought Sam to the designated meeting place, and Quil faced a Clan of blood drinkers he had not expected to ever see again.

* * *

  
Carlisle Cullen stood before the Tribal Council of Elders holding the hand of his Mate, Bella, and neither of them appeared any different than the day they had parted from Forks.

Her face was still that of a older child, even as Quil's own hair had grown long and gone snow white with time. Wrinkles carved their way into his features while every member of the Cullen Clan remained ageless and youthful.

"There are 4 more of you," Quil declared, knowing full well that the boy Edward could hear his dissatisfaction with the situation.

"We did not change Alice or Jasper, as for Esme and Elisha, they were part of our Coven before the treaty and sometimes head off on their own. Our first stay here was one such time," Bella declared smoothly, not a single hint of deceit on her face. Quil could not remember if she'd been part of the negotiations when he was a child, but Carlisle seemed content to allow her to speak at present.

"That's acceptable," Sam declared with a frown, he had severe problems controlling the animal aggression that he had newly come into. His lack of self control had recently resulted in him nearly harming his girlfriend Leah, it seemed her cousin Emily had been in town when the incident occurred.

Hoping to protect her beloved cousin, Emily had stepped between them and calmed Sam like no other could. Having Imprinted his temper was much more even, but it came with the price of nearly harming a girl he'd loved since his teens, then having to abandon her as his heart called for another.

Quil had felt such pity for the young man,but time would heal his wounds.

"But that doesn't explain why the man you call Elisha has a heartbeat," Sam's words sent a murmur through the small gathering of Tribes Patriarchs. Quil himself could not believe they would be so reckless as to allow a human to dwell with them but it was Billy Black, the son to his childhood friend, who asked,

"What could you mean by this act?! Do you intend to bite him?"

"My Mate does not lie," Carlisle Cullen informed them calmly, "Elisha has been with since before our first stay here in Forks. He is a my natural son.

"His heart beats because he was conceived when my wife was yet Human. Half Borns do not need to consume blood, though they can, Elisha has not done so since 1818. "

"This is an abomination," Harry Clearwater declared in shock, Quil himself did not know how to respond to the knowledge that such dark twisted creatures could exist. That they had singed a treaty with a man who created one!

"I will thank you not to speak of my beloved son in such away," Bella's tone brooked no argument and Quil could see that she was just as in charge of the Clan's fate as Carlisle as her Mate took her hand in solidarity,

"Half Human children are not yours to regulate. Only the ruling Coven has that authority, if you do not approve oh him then we will need to rework our treaty."

"No," Quil found himself speaking without much thinking, it seemed the right thing to do. Ephraim Black had made the treaty knowing that their 3 Wolves could not possibly resist 5 Cold Ones. Now they had but 1 Wolf and the Cullens were 9 strong.

Any negotiation would be in their favor, so it was wise not to alter the treaty at such a revelation, "So long as he obeys the laws set forth by the Treaty he should be tolerated."

One of the new members of their Clan, Jasper smirked as if he knew exactly why Quil had protested, the boy looked directly at him and he felt seen in a way he never had when Edward turned his gaze upon him.

"Quil is right," Billy agreed as he got his upset calmed, "He will simply need to obey the treaty and there will be no issue."

Sam frowned as he looked to the blood drinker in question but said no words.

"Our family is happy to once again take up residence her in Forks," Carlisle smiled as if he hoped that the argument would be behind them, "Some of the happiest days of our Existence took place here and we look forward to creating more.

"Those of us who were here the first time have considered this place home."

Quil looked at their Clan with new eyes though and realized there was a deep tragedy inside of them.

"You can't seriously be alright with allowing that- that THING near our borders," Sam appeared near shouting as he protested the decision regarding Elisha Cullen.

"They are 9 strong," Quil reminded him calmly as they returned to the safety of the meeting hall to discuss the Cullens reappearance in their area,

"You cannot face them alone, and there is a great chance the Treaty will tip to their favor if we argue it now."

"Sam is right though," Billy was clearly worried as he rolled himself up to the table in his wheel chair,

"That creature is fouler than even the most blood thirsty of Cold Creatures. To think his mother carried him and allowed herself to be touched by Cullen while yet human!"

Harry added his own opinion decidedly,"It's unnatural in the highest of orders. Can you really expect us to tolerate his presence?"

Yes, Quil realized, Carlisle Cullens life had been a tragedy for a very long time.

"His self control is legendary Billy," Quil did his best to remind the younger men, "It is no surprise he would desire his Mate even before she was turned.

"And Harry, you forget that it is not our place to govern them, our concern is the safety of our Tribe and the people of Forks."

"She appears as a child!" Sam cried out indignantly as if it was something they could act upon. Quil sighed at the readiness of the young to act on things which they could not change.

"And he has likely loved her for longer than we have been alive combined," Quil countered, he wondered when he became the reasonable one. Perhaps it was having seen the pair of them as a child and with that innocence accepting their union. Or, it could have been seeing them dance together just as Ephraim and Martha did in the light of the fire that night on the beach.

Whatever the reason he knew it was not their business to judge men who were cursed but strove to rise above. Ephraim's willingness to live in peace with them was what taught him that, and while he understood the danger that was reasonably posed by them, the Cullens had never broken the treaty in the many years since it's inception.

"No matter our opinion on the matter," Quil declared defiantly as he stared down each of them, "That man's heart is yet beating, which means blood flows in his veins.

"Elisha Cullen lives, breathes, and eats as a Human does. We cannot destroy a life."

"Can you really call that a life?" Sam argued with such passion it was hard not to be swept up in his vigor and vim but Quil resisted the young man's charisma,

"Sure his heart is beating but it's strange and sickly! His blood smells like fermented fruit, while his skin is somewhere between human flesh and stone."

"But he was born," Quil sighed knowing that this was important for them to discuss, "And he grew. Don't take my stance as agreement with them Sam.

"Had he been conceived when when I was a member of the pack I would have agreed with you wholeheartedly, he would have been an unknown creature we could not hope to predict.

"But I can't stand with you now when we can clearly see he behaves as well as the other members of his Clan."

Quil stared at the younger men and urged them with all the force he could muster, "Elisha Cullen's existence is tragic, but we cannot act to harm him.

"Such a move would be unprovoked and foolish on our part."

"We will have to watch him carefully," Harry finally conceded and something inside of Quil loosened, there would be no bloodbath in his time.

"Perhaps I can have Jennie put Beau on them," Billy offered and Quil wondered when they had become so suspicious. Perhaps he was too much of a child to remember the details of back when the Cullens first took residence in their forests, but Quil couldn't help but think open hostility was not the way to tread.

"I would be more comfortable with Jacob, since he is more likely to join the pack," Sam seemed conflicted on the matter but ultimately agreed,

"But I understand that Beau is in the unique position due to his attendance of Forks High."

"You will have to tell him that our legends are indeed true histories," Harry reminded Billy with a wariness that was undeserved. Beau had the same amount of Wolf Blood as Quil's own children!

How quickly they forgot that his dear Molly was a Swan so that they may look sideways at the child of Charlie and Jennie.

"Beau has always been a credit to the Black family, even if he does not bear their name," Quil reminded them, he knew his disapproval of their stance was showing even if it was slightly.

"He's such a credit that he confronted me only days after I'd phased," Sam revealed and Quil couldn't help but feel pleased at how his observations of Beau had proven true. Billy appeared uncomfortable while Harry blatantly displayed his surprise at the information.

"I am not surprised, even as a child Beau believed deeply in our histories," Quil smiled unable to help it, "He may be near a man now but he will serve his people well in whatever task you give him."

Sam nodded in agreement and there could be no real argument then. They could only hope that the Cullens kept their word as they had before. Quil himself had little worry, his greatest concern was regarding how Beau may feel about the need to watch the Cullens when his own father may not understand the wariness the tribe possessed.

There was no telling what would pass and it was clear that Billy, Harry, and the others would be feeling helpless until more Wolves appeared among them.

And they would.

But greater problems would arise over the Cullens present and Quil would have a question which he had long abandoned answered.

Because the Cullens were about to prove exactly how fiercely the Cold Ones could love.


	2. Beau Swan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this one is so long, please don't expect them all to be so long

For as long as he could remember he was the 'White Boy' and yet at the same time he was that 'Indian Boy'. Neither and both all at once. There were a few people who didn't care much, like Jacob and Angela, there were others who did though.

Even if it only manifested in avoidance.

Beau Swan lived his life with one foot in a world that saw themselves enlightened for their lacking connection to the spirits which had breathed life into their world, his other foot was firmly planted in land where chosen warriors were said to be granted the Spirit of the Wolf to defend their borders from creatures too dark to be destroyed by mortal means.

When he was a little brat that liked to force his cousin Jacob to eat fish eyes while chasing Rebecca and Rachel with worms, Uncle Billy had sat him down with the others and told them the tale of the Cold Ones. The creatures who had killed their elk, and managed to evade capture for 21 days. And when Beau's Great Grandfather Ephraim finally caught them with his Pack Brothers, the monsters vowed to drink only the blood of animals while never stepping onto Quileute land.

The Treaty between their Tribe and the Clan of Cold Creatures was secret only to select bloodlines and while Jacob had written the tale off as Beau had seen the urgent truth in his Uncle's eyes as he said,

"This is to be spoken to no one, not even your father Beau."

So he knew.

Practically the moment Jacob told him, "Sam's being a real dick so he's not going diving with us today."

"Jacob, he's getting ready to head to college," Beau reminded his cousin plainly, remembering that they were still a few years apart,

"I'm sure he's just busy as hell, especially since I can't see him leaving without at least proposing to Leah."

"That's the thing," Jacob leaned forward over the dismantled engine of Billy's truck. His Uncle had promised if Beau helped rebuild the engine he could keep the damn thing so they two had been spending all their free time working in the garage while the radio blasted as loud as they could manage it.

"The guy practically shaved his head, started running around without a shirt, then dumped Leah after breaking her arm or some shit then got with her cousin, Emily.

"He's practically been body swapped! Billy says he's even given up on going to University."

A cold chill climbed it's way up Beau's spine as the words 'do you think he's phased' almost passed his lips.

But Jacob was irreverent for the stories that Billy told and practically wrote them all off as fairy tales used to make them eat their vegetables and not wander into the forests. Beau had no idea what to do.

If Sam Uley had Phased then it would make sense that he'd accidentally hurt someone, but if not, then wasn't it Beau's responsibility to report that shit? Clenching his jaw he listened as Jacob continued on as if the entire thing didn't matter,

"We'll be fine without him. I'm sure Embry and Quil will be happy to join up."

"Yeah," Beau swallowed down any other words that were in his head as he continued to rebuild the engine of 'The Beast'.

78% that's how sure Beau was that Sam had actually phased, 78% certain that Vampires and magic were as real as he felt it to be when he was a small boy and his Uncle Billy demanded he keep the secret.

Another 12% came when his father, Charlie, returned from a fishing trip with Harry Clearwater and Uncle Bill shouting. Beau had never heard Charlie shout in his life about anything that wasn't a sport's game.

Beau leaned out his window on the second floor of their house and could hear his father actually yelling,

"You can't honestly be asking me to drive you all the way to Seattle for your appointment! It's way too far away and Dr. Cullen is better than any medical practitioner we've ever had!

"On top of his qualifications the guy drove out to the outpost at 4 in the morning to stitch up Barry! He didn't have to do that!

"But it makes him alright in my books! "

"Charlie," Billy's tone sounded grave and concerned, "The Cullens don't have a good reputation on the Reservation, you have to understand that."

"That's no reason to tell me my kid should transfer schools!" Charlie actually looked red in the face. He didn't seem angry so much as upset and confused.

Beau knew why though, most of the Elders acted like Beau's existence was a blemish on their Tribe. Likely because they believed his blood was impure and tainted the Wolf that he could have been had his mother Jennie married as 'she should have'.

Taking a breath Charlie calmed himself, "Look, I get that you don't like the guy, but he's lived here for all of 2 weeks and you're already treating him like he's the devil himself.

"You can see why I can't agree with you."

Their voices lowered to the point that Beau could see the three men still talking but could no longer hear what was being said. It appeared Charlie though was unsatisfied as he turned his heel and walked right into the house.

After a moment, Billy actually turned his gaze up, and Beau's eyes met the wheel chair bound man in silence before, with aide from Harry, he departed. Quickly Beau rushed out of his room and down the stairs in order to find his father cracking opened a beer while his mother had already begun sorting through the fish he's brought home in his small red ice chest.

"I kow he's your brother but he's acting crazy," Charlie was saying with a tone of exhaustion. His wife smiled tightly but her eyes went to Beau as his feet hit the landing.

"Are you done with your homework already?" Jennie asked as if trying to shift the subject but Beau wasn't about to let her.

"Yeah," he agreed quickly before turning to his father, "Were you and Uncle Billy arguing right now?"

"Beau," his mother sighed as she closed her eyes but Charlie took a swig of beer before letting out his own noise of apprehension.

"Yeah, he's got the notion in his head that the new Doctor at Forks General is no good," Charlie replied steadily, as if he'd been arguing all day,

"I've met the guy though, he's a good sort, didn't become a Doctor for money like everyone else seems to be doing these days.

"Has a bit of a full house situation going on at home but that doesn't make him a bad guy."

"I didn't even know we had new neighbors," Beau admitted as he made his way into the kitchen to wash his hands, then help his mom clean and fillet the fish.

"They moved into the house off the old forest road," Jennie's words were quiet but full of weight.

When they were younger, and went on hikes through the forests, Sam used to call it 'The Vampire House' because according to Legend it was pretty central to the territory they gave up to the Cold Ones.

"Oh," Beau acknowledged the words and her meaning before letting the whole thing drop because he knew what was good for him. Still though, that 78 had become a 90. All that was left was to do the most reckless thing he'd ever thought of in his life.

The Quileute reservation at large was a small community, and he was a frequent face, seeing as his only living relatives what weren't his parents, kept homes on the land. But Beau wasn't on the reservation for any of them.

No, he borrowed his mother's car claiming a visit to Jacob, and instead of actually heading off to see his cousin, Beau went searching for Sam Uley. Sam was 18 and had the grades to graduate at the top of his class, but according to Jacob he'd taken to running off on his own to do forest walks like a wild man.

Beau felt like an idiot heading up to the Uley house and waiting like a stalker for Sam to come out. For a complete hour and a half, Beau listened to music on the radio while trying to formulate what he'd actually say to the guy who may or may not be able to shape shipft into a giant Wolf.

Finally though, Sam did leave his house in a pair of cut off shorts and sneakers, nothing else.

The moment he did, Beau hopped out of his mother's Toyota and headed straight for him. They'd grown up together, kind of. Both being of sacred bloodlines they were related somewhere up the family tree but not close enough for it to matter.

Mustering up all the courage he could find Beau called out to the other, "Sam!"

Sam immediately turned bodily towards him with a surprising intensity, "Beau, damn it, what do you think your doing over here?"

Not being able to control his mouth Beau blurted, "You Phased right? Jacob thinks you've gone off the deep end but the only thing I could figure is you were right about the Vampire house and them being around made you Phase."

It was strange, he almost felt over dressed in his jeans and flannel shirt as he vommited his words in front of the other boy.

Sam's eyes widened in surprise though and that counted for everything, "Beau, get back in Jennie's car an leave."

"No," Beau shook his head but his resolve was growing stronger, "Because either you Phased and have inherited one of the biggest burdens anyone in the Tribe could, or you hurt Leah Clearwater for no damn reason.

"And if you hurt Leah, on purpose, I have to tell someone because that shit isn't OK."

Sam looked like he was about to cry, unshed tears were shining in his brown eyes while his bare skin began to quiver as if he was cold but the weather wasn't nearly so chilly.

"You came here for Leah's sake?" were the words he finally said, they were broken, almost like a plea.

Beau shrugged a bit, not really knowing what to say now that his mind was under control, "Yeah, I mean, yeah. Leah deserves better than for everyone to pretend that nothing happened."

"Yeah," Sam nodded then, turning his attention away as if he couldn't bear to look Beau in the eye as he confessed, "I Phased. I didn't mean to hurt her, and I'll always hate myself for what happened."

"Alright," Beau nodded and tossed his mother's keys in his hands, awkwardly, "I'll look out for her alright? She probably needs a friend right now that knows."

"Thank you Beau," the words were choked out as Sam finally looked back to him before wiping his tears away,

"I'm sure she'll appreciate it."

With that, Beau loaded himself into the car, but he kept watching as Sam made his way into the forest. His eyes never leaving the older boy, even when he transformed into a Wolf with fur blacker than then the darkest of nights.

* * *

"All I'm saying is that it's stupid," Leah groaned as she knocked her shoulder into Beaus', "Who the hell would go into what is clearly a murder basement?!"

"Well she thought her sister was down there," Angela reasoned lightly, ever the diplomat in every situation.

"Screw that," Jacob snorted rather mockingly, "My own sisters would know better than to go into a goddamn murder basement. She should have had more confidence in her sister."

Beau shook his head at them, it was normal for Jacob and Angela to accompany him on his favorite activity of watching horrible movie sequels, but Leah had been a new addition that he was happy to invite along.

Her arm was in a brace from a minor fracture, but her pride and heart seemed to have been shattered. Fortunately she seemed eager to get her mind off of everything that had happened, which meant she leaped at Beau's invitation.

"Well, I don't have any siblings so I'm automatically immune to that," Beau declared proudly,

"You all can go get tempted by mysterious monsters in basement but there's nothing down there for me."

"But what if Charlie was down there?" Angela offered as an alternative but before Beau could answer, Leah snorted,

"Charlie Swan could kill a mountain lion with his bare hands, no stupid ass basement monster's gonna get him."

Immediately all three of them began to laugh at her words to the point where Beau was actually crying and Jacob looked about ready to pass out from a lack of oxygen. Angela too seemed incredulous at the sudden faith in Beau's father.

"That's the funniest shit!" Jacob chortled like a 6 year old, "What even made you say that?!"

Beau wiped his tears with the sleeve of his hoodie, all 4 of them continued to amble down the street towards the pizza place they ritually ate at after movie nights. Leah looked at them and pressed her lips together a bit unsure but finally acquiesced,

"I don't know, it's thing me and Seth say all the time. 'Cause he's always fighting with town hall so they don't build stupid shit in our forests.

"So it started like 'Chief Ranger Swan could kill a man with his stare' to 'Chief Ranger Swan can take a bear with his pinky'. It's stupid."

She shrugged a bit as if she really thought it was something not worth sharing but Beau smiled at her, attempting to convey exactly how funny he thought it was,

"Listen, it's not stupid Leah, it's funny as hell and kind of makes me wish I did have a sibling."

Leah ducked her head, she wasn't bashful or shy, just a bit uncomfortable with all the attention so Beau took that as a sign that she wasn't willing to say anymore on the matter.

Suddenly Jacob brightened up, "You all hear that there's a family that moved into the Vampire House?"

"Vampire House?" Angela smiled in confusion while Beau elbowed his cousin in the gut while Leah practically snarled,

"Shut up Jacob. Right now. Shut up."

"Jeez," Jacob tossed his hands up in surrender, "I didn't know I had two crazies with me! Honestly."

"What do you want on your pizza Angela?" Beau plowed forwards determined not to let the subject go on for any longer. He'd invited Leah to avoid it after all. Beau turned to Leah and explained quickly,

"They have these mini pizzas that are like 4 for $10 and Charlie gave me $20 bucks for all of us to get drinks too."

"How many toppings each?" Leah picked up what he was putting down and seemed to be speaking through great strain.

"2 if you can believe it," Beau tried his best to sound casual while Jacob just rolled his eyes before turning to Angela,

"I can't believe these two."

Angela smiled offering a small laugh, "I'm completely lost."

"We're talking about pizza Angela, keep up," Leah came across as scolding, Beau figured she was tense from Jacob's blatant irreverence in front of an outsider. He regretted that Angela's smile wilted at her tone, but Beau had made a promise to Sam. Leah needed someone who knew exactly what she was going through and he hadn't been able to tell her yet.

She was his priority.

Having been shut down, Jacob sort of just glared at the Beau and Leah while Angela seemed content to shrug the whole thing off. She was always the kind of person to let things be without holding grudges. A trait which easily made her Beau's best friend.

Their group made it's way to the pizza place and their meal passed without much worth noting. Jacob had to be picked up by Billy not long after they finished while Angela's mother arrived at the pizza place to pick her up not long after that which left Beau and Leah to themselves.

"You think you can give me a ride home?" Beau felt a bit awkward asking but he knew the conversation they needed to have was better done in private.

Leah looked him up an down before sighing, "Yeah I guess. Why can't Jennie pick you up?"

"I was kind of hoping to talk," Beau confessed openly, he wasn't about to play games with her, not after everything she'd been through.

Of course, she didn't seem convince before she sighed, "Alright White Boy, let's go."

"Don't call me that," Beau requested trying not to let his offense show, as Leah began to lead him towards the area which she'd parked.

"Fine, whatever," she shrugged before using her key to unlock the passenger door, then moving to the drivers side and loading herself in.

Beau slid into the car and took a deep breath while Leah turned her vehicle over. As she began to pull out of her space, found the courage once again to talk about what was on his mind.

"I know that Sam Phased," he confessed, then all at once everything tumbled out, "Everything that's happened, I figure he Imprinted on Emily too."

"Shit," Leah spat out the curse as she slammed on her breaks, "So what?! You want to know what its like?! Huh?!"

"No," Beau did his best to convey his contrition, "I just wanted you to know that I know, and that I think it sucks that you got hurt. It's probably hard to keep it all inside since most of the kids are like Jacob and think it's all bullshit.

"But I know. You don't have to pretend with me. If you need a friend to talk to I'm willing to listen."

Leah started at him silently, her expression was cold as if she thought he'd vanish into dust if she moved even an inch, "So this isn't about Sam? Or the Pack or whatever?"

"No," Beau shook his head slowly but emphatically, "The only reason I found out was because I confronted Sam about him hurting you.

"I couldn't stand the idea of just sitting back while he got away with being an asshole who broke his girlfriend's arm. But, he loves you so much that I figured he either couldn't help it or I'd have to report him."

Leah swallowed hard, but she took her foot off the brake and began driving again. Silence reigned over them for a while. Beau was happy to just sit until she had something to say.

"It's like," Leah choked on the words as she suddenly began to speak.

She paused but after Beau held his tongue patiently Leah started up again, "One day we're talking about how we're going to get into the same college and maybe get engaged sometime in the summer.

"Then the next he's throwing me out like a piece of trash for my best friend."

Leah pulled over then, the road was dark but Beau simply whispered, "I'm listening."

Slamming her gear shift in park Leah turned to him and screamed, "She was supposed to be my best friend! How could she do that?!

"I love him! I wanted to be the one to make him laugh! Smile! I was the only one who could get him to relax! Sam was always so serious and he never took time for himself!

"But he just left me! Like I was nothing!"

Leah slammed her hand down on the console between them and Beau reached out to grab her hand. Tightly.

She turned her pale brown eyes up to him, full of tears and red from crying. Leah's lips were pinched tight in anger but she didn't pull away from Beau,

"Did all of that mean nothing to him? He always said he'd love me until we were old and grey, was it a lie?!"

Beau told her firmly, "What does matter is that you're hurt from his actions. You matter Leah, what your feeling right now is because it was real.

"And he betrayed that. All that anger and hurt, it's real and it makes perfect sense."

Leah let out a harsh exhale and Beau kept holding her hand, "I can't speak for Sam or Emily. What I do know though is that Leah Clearwater deserves better than what they did."

"Everyone who knows keeps saying he couldn't help it," Leah rasped through her watery tears, "He Imprinted on her, I should be more respectful of that."

"So?" Beau challenged, perhaps it was harsh or cruel, but he knew they were words she needed to hear, "Just because he's joined with a Wolf Spirit doesn't mean he's not still just a man.

"He should have taken time to talk it through with you, let both of you heal before he started up with her. That's on both of them."

Slowly Leah leaned into him and let out a whimper, but said nothing as they continued o in the virtual silence of her car while she continued to cry.

Beau simply sat hoping to convey his support as he allowed her to cry and cry.

He held her hand.

When she was too tired to cry anymore, he moved to the driver's seat and offered her his bed for the night. It was a Saturday and he could sleep in the living room on the couch. Leah agreed, glad not to have to go home in the state she was in where everyone kept telling her that Sam was helpless and she just needed to get over his loss.

She continued to hold his hand on the drive.

And they didn't let go until he was leaving her in his room for the night.

* * *

Beau woke to the sensation of his feet being nudged, blearily he opened his eyes awhile his brain scrambled for consciousness. The first thing he heard was his mother's voice,

"Is there a reason Leah Clearwater is in your bed and you're out here?"

Shooting upright Beau realized that he was indeed in the living room. He rubbed his eyes and looked around to see if his father was home still, but he was likely already out at the outpost,

"She didn't want to go home last night. I couldn't really think of anything else to do."

"Is she going to make a habit of this?" Jennie didn't seem upset, mostly a bit concerned over the turn of events.

"Well, if her parents keep insisting that her being dumped is serving a glorious purpose then, yeah."

His mother sighed then but smiled lightly as she said, "I knew you were a good boy."

She kissed him on the forehead then and ordered, "Go wake her up and ask how many eggs she wants."

Stretching out his arm, Beau let out a yawn as he swiveled his legs off the sofa. In a short movement he stood, but continued to stretch as he made his way up the stairs of the house. Upon reaching his room he knocked on the door and called out,

"Leah, my mom wants to know how many eggs you want."

First there was a grumbling noise, then a sound of shuffling before the door cracked opened, "What time is it?"

"I have no idea," Beau shrugged, before once again asking, "Eggs?Salmon?Pancakes?"

"Do you really have salmon?" Leah seemed to perk up a little so Beau gave her a bright smile,

"Every Sunday."

"I'll be right down," Leah slammed the door in his face and Beau had to shout through it,

"That's not a number!"

"TWO!" was the only answer forthcoming so he turned on his heel before ambling down the stairs,

"Leah says 2 eggs and she wants salmon so she can have mine if there's not a lot."

His mother turned to him from her place a the stove and smiled,"There's enough. Make yourself useful and make the pancake batter."

Beau obliged, it was easy work as his mother had always been keen on him learning proper life skills, so he knew his way around the kitchen fairly easily.

"Your uncle Billy called this morning," the woman spoke up suddenly, "He wants you to come over later today around 3.

"Says he has a job for you."

Beau felt a wariness creep over him at the words but he could only say, "Yeah, alright. Can I barrow your car?"

"I'll drop you off," Jennie smiled but there was nothing more said on the matter as Leah bounded down the stairs. Her long dark brown hair tied back in braid while she wore the same shorts and t-shirt from the night before.

"Hey Mrs. Swan," she gave her greetings a bit cautiously, "You need help?"

"Beau's got it, you're our guest," the woman waved her off easily as Beau began pouring small rounds of batter onto the pre-heated griddle.

"You better not wreck my breakfast Beauford," Leah teased lightly and he was happy to see her being a bit relaxed as he replied,

"For that I'll do it on purpose."

Jennie shook her head at them but said nothing when Leah flipped him off from her place lounging at the table. With the help of Beau, breakfast was prepared in no time at all. Beau helped serve Leah and himself and as they all settled down they began to eat.

"How's school going Leah?" his mother asked kindly and she continued to ask normal questions about her brother, her parents, and her upcoming plans. It was all very normal and Beau was glad for his mother's tact and understanding.

Leah departed after filling up on juice and pancakes, she gave an easy goodbye but Beau new that she'd still need time. He'd be willing to give it to her, as well as hold her hand when she needed it.

For the rest of the day he helped his mother around the house and finished what was left of the homework he had.

When the time came though he was ready for the drive down to his Uncle's. He wasn't sure what job Billy had ready for him, but Beau knew he'd be happy to help where he could.

He expected the man to ask for aide with a few handy thing around the house that Jacob didn't have time for, or even a run to pick up his medications.

What Beau didnt' expect was for Billy to have the entire Council plus Sam sitting in the living room when he arrived.

"This looks scary," Beau observed and turned his attention to Sam, "Am I in trouble?"

"You're not in trouble Beau," Sam shook his head as if it had been a foolish question and Beau wanted to remind him that the Council never cared a wit about him a day in his life. He was pretty sure the only men present who had ever acknowledged him openly and freely as a member of the Black family were Old Quil and Billy himself. And that second one was mandatory since Beau was his nephew.

"Alright," Beau acknowledged him but didn't move from his place at the threshold of the sitting room.

"Beau get over here and sit down," Billy sighed gruffly, "Stop acting like you're about to bolt."

Taking a breath Beau slowly moved and crossed into what was obviously some sort of Council meeting. Very cautiously he sat himself down in a wooden chair next to where Old Quil was seated on the sofa.

"So, I'm guessing you don't actually have a job for me," Beau ventured as he swept his gaze over Harry Clearwater, Billy Black, Same Uley, and Old Quil Ateara. All men representative of the core bloodlines of their clan's history.

"We do," Old Quil's voice was raspy and rough but still held the authority of a man who had held the weight of their tribe for ages.

"It is a job only you can accomplish," Harry continued, but he didn't appear as confident as Old Quil regarding the matter,

"According to Sam you've figured out that our legends are in fact histories."

"Yeah," Beau confirmed as a strange anxiety began to thrum across his skin, "I know Sam's a Shifter, and the Cullens are the Cold Ones that Chief Ephraim made the Treaty with."

There was a sharp intake of breath from Billy and Harry but Old Quil smiled lightly as if he'd known that Beau had already figured it all out.

"The Cullens are no longer only 5 in number," Sam informed him, his voice on edge as if this was a point of particular contention. Beau knew they weren't allowed to bite humans so he wondered how their Coven had grown but stayed silent as Sam continued,

"There are 9 of them including your new English Teacher."

Beau's brain halted for a second. He knew Mr. Cullen was a Cullen but the guy had seemed no more different than a young kind of handsome guy. If that was how Cold Ones looked, he wasn't surprised at their ability to blend into society.

Actually, he was more surprised that they were considered so notably attractive.

"That's a lot," were the only words Beau could find it in himself to say.

Billy looked at him like he had said something stupid but Beau ignored it as Harry began to speak again,

"We want you to keep an eye on them. The children will be starting school with you tomorrow and we were hoping to have someone observe them more carefully among Humans."

"Oh," Beau's palms were beginning to feel sweaty as the words sunk into him, "Is there a reason? I mean, we have a Treaty I don't think-"

"We can't tell you too much," Billy sighed, cutting him off, "Since you're not a member of the Pack you cannot know their relationships or what Dark Powers they posses.

"But what we can tell you is that all but one is Mated, we do not know how they choose their Mates, but it seems very similar to how Humans marry."

Old Quil made an odd noise at the back of his throat before he declared, "I would not say so Billy.

"There is a magic in their eyes when they look upon the one they call their Mate. A Magic I see when Sam gazes upon Emily, and the very same I felt with my Molly.

"They are creatures of Magic, we cannot make declarations about how they find their Mates."

Beau noticed that everyone but Quil looked uncomfortable with the idea that Vampires could posses an ability that shared it's traits with Imprinting. After all, from what Beau knew, Imprinting was said to calm the wild heart of the Wolf and bring the spirit fully into the tangible realm. What could Vampires need such an anchor for?

"Do you accept your duty as a member of the Black family?" Billy asked with a firmness that Beau believe carried the implication that there was really no choice for him.

"I don't know what you want me to do? Watch them? For what?"

"Just be sure they aren't overstepping themselves," Harry said with a bit of impatience, "We won't ask for miracles, simply observe them and if you pick something up that's useful inform Sam."

"Right," Beau had a feeling the entire thing would end horrifically as he swallowed down his fear. If they were all like Mr. Cullen, then it wouldn't be too difficult,

"I'll do it then."

"Good," Sam nodded, "I'll have you come here every Saturday and you can tell me your observations then."

Beau felt like he'd just made a barter for his soul but he wasn't sure why.

* * *

  
He wasn't prepared in the slightest.

Beau arrived to school just in time for the first bell every single day since he tended to make his own breakfast at home.

So unlike everyone else, he didn't see the Cullen kids in the cafeteria. No, but he did notice a good majority of the population buzzing about something as he made his way to his Earth Science class.

Angela arrived besides him at some point in the halls and declared, "Lauren is having an actual fit about the new kids. I'm kind of scared."

"Why would she have a fit?" Beau frowned at his friend as they traversed the hall.

"Because they all look like models," Angela informed him without preamble or even trying to hide that she too was blown away by it as she adjusted her purple framed glasses,

"Seriously, there were girls weeping this morning. I didn't get a good look at them but apparently it's all anyone's talking about."

"Including you," Beau teased lightly as he opened the door to the class room for her, Angela shot him a smile but said nothing as she made her way towards her seat. Beau though noticed a girl in the normally unoccupied space beside his own chair.

Her attention was focused on her notebook so all he could see what her strikingly rich, as well as long, mahogany hair before he sat down. Taking a bit of a breath her turned to her for a greeting and found she was looking straight at him already

There was something viscerally terrifying about her beauty.

Her features were smooth and even yet contained a sharpness that seemed unnatural. Tiny, her entire figure was delicate, but somehow still full in a way he didn't know was possible.

And yet instead of finding her gorgeous, Beau felt his muscles tense as everything inside him demanded he flee immediately at the sight of her eyes which were such a muted and rusted gold that it was clear she hadn't fed in some time.

"I'm Bella Swan," she spoke and her voice was rich but soft like a summer breeze, her smile was barely there, "You must be Beau."

Beau inhaled sharply at the sound of his last name being attached to this girl before him. A girl whose flesh who would clearly be ice cold if he dared to touch her,

"Swan? You couldn't have picked a different name?"

The words fell out of him and Beau wished they hadn't as his fear spiked to the point that he felt like his heart was going to beat right out his chest like a freight train. He took a quick look around the room and wondered why no one else could see how absolutely terrifying this creature next to him was.

How could the Cullens go through life so easily?!

She didn't seem offended though as the girl, Bella, quirked her eyebrow, "If you think that's how last names work then you have a fundamental misunderstanding of them."

Beau swallowed as if he could digest his own fear, "Right."

Forcing himself to turn away was excruciating but, he couldn't help stealing a few glances at her. She looked so unreal that he wondered if it was a power of her's since Mr. Cullen appeared almost human.

"I just thought you were all Cullens," Beau blustered and realized how stupid it sounded only after having said the words. Bella laughed lightly though.

"Most of my family are. My sister Esme married Mr. Cullen, he teaches English here now. So no, I'm not a Cullen but my sister is."

"Right," Beau felt like he couldn't look her in they eye or he's risk his heart beating out of his chest, he did his best to remember that Esme and Mr. Cullen were married even though he'd only met the teacher,

"And Dr. Cullen is?..."

He trailed off and Bella looked at him like he'd just sprouted another head, but her voice remained light, "You're very interested in my family, is there a reason?"

"Small town nosiness?" Beau tried and it seemed to work as she pressed her lips together and nodded,

"Dr. Cullen is Esme's brother in Law."

"Right," Beau didn't know if he could handle a whole year sitting next to her. He dropped the clumsy interrogation and hoped the others were more like Mr. Cullen, that was to say less elegantly horrifying.

At lunch he realized that all of them were just like that and wasn't that the most blood curdling revelation he'd ever come upon?

Beau tried his best to pay attention as Lauren waxed poetic about having met Dr. Cullen at the store with Mr. Cullen. But he couldn't stop stealing glances at Bella Swan who looked almost like she was taking a nap. She was sitting on the sill of the window shoulder to shoulder with a blond boy. Both of them had their eyes closed and Beau had the sneaking suspicion that neither of them were breathing.

"Look like Bella's caught Beau's attention at least," Lauren laughed which forced him to pull his eyes away from the pair of Vampires at the window.

"It's not that," Beau protested lightly, but didn't know what else to say.

"Well I wouldn't blame you," Angela smiled encouragingly, "She's gorgeous."

"I'm pretty sure she's dating Edward though," Mike informed them a bit tightly, all eyes were on him suddenly and even Beau felt a thirst for the knowledge that Mike Newton seemed to have somehow acquired.

"How do you know that?" Beau couldn't risk the other boy not continuing on. Fortunately that encouragement was enough as he began to explain,

"A few days after they arrived, all the Cullen kids came into the store to get camping gear," Mike informed them, clearly enjoying the attention that Lauren was giving him as her wide green eyes began to drink up every syllable,

"Um Edward, the one with the reddish hair, was holding her hand the whole time and I saw her kiss him on the cheek."

"So Edwards taken," Lauren sounded mildly defeated but wasn't about to quit apparently, "How about the other ones?"

"I have no idea," Mike shrugged a bit apologetically. Beau filed away the fact that Bella and Edward were apparently 'Mates' away in his head. Which was interesting, seeing as she was very happily lounging with a different boy.

"Well Dr. Cullen is single," Lauren giggled brightly, "He's like barely 30 and he's gorgeous!"

"He's twice your age," Mike reminded her reasonably, Erik next to him laughed,

"Yeah, and unless he's got issues I'm pretty sure your not on his radar."

"It's normal and healthy for girls our age to have crushes on mature men," Angela piped up in defense of the other girl. Jessica began to nod emphatically as she added, gesturing with her head towards the Cullens' lunch table,

"I mean if he's half as attractive as them, I'd want him to be my doctor too."

"Maybe he can adopt you," Angela teased which caused the other girls to laugh while Eric and Mike just frowned a bit.

It was strange to hear them all so enraptured by the Vampires when all of Beau's internal alarms were set off by them. His mind kept showing him Bella as she laughed and sort of teased him for his weird questions. And he finally realized why it was so terrifying. Chief Ephraim Black had been impressed by the Cold Ones ability to imitate men.

Because that's what all the Cullens were doing, feigning humanity hoping no one would notice. They were blood drinking killers and had somehow gotten away with pretending they weren't.

Beau once again found himself looking back at the Cullens table but his blood ran cold when his eyes met with Edward's. His irises were not like Bella's. No. They were bright gold like gemstones as he stared at Beau across the lunchroom, there was something like rage in the Vampire's gaze.

Immediately, Beau looked away.

He didn't know if he'd be able to stand doing what the Council had asked.

But he would.


	3. Jacob Black

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, this one is long too
> 
> ALSO: Jacob has some pretty Biased and Rude opinions about the Cullens in this so... yeah....

The world according to Jacob was this:

One day he woke up and everyone had absolutely lost their minds over the hot white people who'd bought a house in the forest.

First his own family were starting to talk like their stories about Vampires and Spirit Warriors were a reality, then the good sane people of Forks were leaving whole puddles of drool everywhere the Cullens went.

Sam had laughed about it too, but then he'd lost his mind and began to run around like a wild man, broke his girlfriend's arm, then less than 6 months after the house down the old forest road had been moved into, the guy got engaged to his ex-girlfriends cousin.

Her cousin!

Leah, said ex-girlfriend, was on a whole other level of messed up over it which he perfectly understood. So when Beau started dragging her out with their little group making them a quartet, Jacob understood. She needed friends that weren't going to write off what Sam did to her.

But what he didn't' understand was the fact that Leah pretty much began living with the Swans, but that Beau also had started hanging out with Sam.

Which, to Jacob, seemed like a severe conflict of interests.

Leah seemed to know though and since Beau wasn't running around shirtless and in cut offs, he wasn't going to start worrying about his cousin too much. Even though the guy seemed to always have a little bit of his head in the clouds.

Beau tended to get into things he hadn't planned to, so Jacob kind of helplessly watched as his cousin drew into himself until he was a tiny little island that not even Angela was able to reach.

He knew, because she'd called him worried and Jacob hadn't heard from Beau in weeks. Which was aweful since they used to spent all their free time together.

At first Jacob had thought it was whatever he and Sam had been getting up to on top of helping Leah out, but when he decided to deliver the finished Beast to the Swans he realized there was more to it than that.

On the Swan's front porch, there was a swinging bench that Charlie tended to sit on with Jennie in the evenings he had off. They always sat quietly and occasionally the two danced if the had the kitchen window opened and the radio could be heard from the inside.

Pulling up in the red ancient truck that his father had decided to give to Beau, Jacob did not see his aunt and uncle swinging lazily together.

No.

Beau was sitting a bit lazily while his long legs sort of guided the rhythm of the swing, Next to him, wasn't Leah Clearwater either, but a girl Jacob had never met before.

She was dressed like some sort of model, her jeans were a deep navy while her light jacket was clearly some sort of designer coat with a chunky metal buckle around the waist.

Parking the truck up on the driveway Jacob found that she was beautiful to the point that it was unsettling.

Practically hoping out of the cab, he ambled up the drive and did his best to get a better look at what was likely Beau's first ever girlfriend.

Her hair was as long as Jacob's own, but it was the same shade as the mahogany table his grand father had carved and had been hauled away as part of Jennie's inheritance. If he didn't know better, he'd have thought she was actually a porcelain doll, which was a bit creepy.

"Hey Jake," Beau called out easily and the girl didn't seem bothered by one of his friends showing up.

"Hey loser," Jake replied with a grin, "Whose your girlfriend?"

"Not his girlfriend," The girl replied smoothly, her voice like music.

"Jake, this is Bella Swan," Beau looked like he had practiced the words a thousand actual times in order to say them with a straight face,

"Bella, Jacob Black."

"I didn't know you had actual hot relatives," Jacob teased as he reached them.

"Well we're not related so that probably explains it," Bella jabbed right back which had Jacob cackling with laughter that actually came from deep in his chest.

The girl was funny, if a bit creepy looking, "So, apparently my cousin has been hiding you away, so if he's not your boyfriend yet he will be soon."

"Don't tease him too much," Bella stood to her feet as if she was getting ready to leave, and Jacob got a whiff of whatever perfume she was wearing. It was worse than those grandmas that bathed in those sickly sweet scents to the point that it makes the people around them nauseous.

"So that's it then?" Beau apparently was going to end whatever conversation they'd been having before Jacob had arrived.

"It is," Bella replied evenly, "She made her choice and you can tell Sam that if he has a problem with it we can all sit down, talk about it like real people do."

She then turned her eyes to him and Jacob wondered how he missed them. They were yellow. He'd only ever seen the same hue in the eyes of a few dogs around the neighborhood.

They must be contacts, he reasoned, people did that.

"It was nice to meet you Mr. Black," Bella smiled before heading off down the street on foot as if she lived a few blocks away.

"She's walking home?" Jacob frowned a bit, "Where does she live?"

"She's not walking home, her boyfriend is waiting in a car down the block," Beau sighed and the way he said it betrayed that he wasn't actually telling the whole truth,

"Bella lives with the Cullens."

"OOoooh! You've been hanging out with a Vampire and haven't invited me?!" Jacob threw himself down into the place she'd been sitting and was surprised to find that it wasn't disgustingly warm like he'd thought it would be,

"The plot thickens!"

Beau rolled his eyes, probably because he was crazy and believed in that fairy tale garbage, "Don't tell anyone you saw her here."

"Are you serious?" Jacob frowned, a bit as he leaned towards his cousin, "Why is her boyfriend a jealous asshole?"

"No Jacob, because she's a Vampire and the tribe will think it's a bad idea for me to be actually talking to her," Beau hissed under his breath and Jacob actually wondered if he bought into that bullshit.

"Beau," Jacob put a hand on the other boy's shoulder, "You're scaring me."

"Jake," Beau sighed as if he was really tired, "Can you just believe in magic for a second. Pretend alright?"

Taking a breath, Jacob wondered for a moment what the point of this would be and agreed, "Alright, fine. I'm you and I believe in Wolf Spirits and Ghouls."

"Good," forming a steeple with his fingers Beau seemed thoughtful, "Say a girl has been made an offer to date one of them.

"If she says yes, then that means she'll also probably become a Vampire."

Jacob was having a hard time here, but he did his best to pretend as he mulled that over, "Alright, then the Treaty would be Broken and the vampires would be chased out and not be allowed back on pain of death."

"BUT!" Beau interrupted a bit frantically, "There's 9 of them, they'd massacre us if it came to a fight. 10 if you count the girl who was changed. "

He was so distressed that Jacob was genuinely concerned for Beau's mental state, "Yeah, but it's not real so we're good man."

Lightly, Jacob shoved him on the shoulder and sighed. He wondered what Bella had been doing with him hanging out but apparently that was off the table and so were any further discussions about her.

Jacob did see her on occasion. Once or twice she was with one of the other kids, she was happy to offer him a wave but not much else. he figured that she was perfectly aware of what Billy thought of her and her family, which meant it was fair that she only gave a polite greeting.

Things were weird.

Beau was tin hating while Leah seemed equally nasty about it.

Angela and Beau were apparently arguing about SOMETHING and Jacob was left to watch his friends barricade them out of their lives.

Then, just slightly into his freshman year of high school Jacob got sick.

* * *

  
At first he thought it was a flu.

He was burning up and felt nauseous like he'd never be able to keep anything down again.

Jacob had good days and horrible days, but Billy was staring at him like he was going to grow another head at some point while telling him that he should call Beau. Of course, Jacob wasn't going to call Beau and tell him what was happening because his cousin would probably think he was dying.

Then, one fall day day in the dead of November, Jacob felt like he was going to die from his insides turning out or something.

And he Phased.

Everything became much scarier after that.

Sam was pleased of course.

Jacob was the only Black in the pack that consisted of Sam, Paul, Embry, and Jared.

He never believed in any of it, and Jacob was thrust into the middle, like a tiny paper boat tossed onto the sea at storm. It was all too much, but it made everything so simple.

Sam had the calm of still waters, and it helped in the early days that he felt trapped in the mind of a boy who was suddenly so angry all the time. Jacob felt like he was losing himself to the point that he didn't know if he could even call Beau to apologize for being such a dick about it all.

"What's with Beau," Jacob's worry was eating him alive as he ate a bit of Emily's cooking, and wasn't' that strange? She cooked for the pack and maintained the little cabin that had once belonged to Sam's parent, now used fro the the great protectors of their lands.

Paul frowned a bit but said nothing as Jared snorted, "He's a groupie!"

"Hell yeah he is," Embry cackled like it was a funny joke, "White boy just hangs around hoping to be as cool as us."

"Quiet," Sam scolded them, his frown was deep and Jacob somehow knew that his defense of Beau had to do with the guy's steady friendship with Leah.

"Beau was given a difficult task and has continued to carry it out admirably," the Pack leader and the coolest head, Sam had been Phasing the longest,

"He may never become a Pack Brother in form, but he is in spirit."

"What was his task?" Jacob suddenly felt sick at the thought of all the trips Beau made to the Uley house. Every Saturday for lunch he arrived like clockwork,

"I mean, It's weird that you never think about it when we're out."

"I't not a secret," Sam pressed his lips together tightly but he never denied that he never even attempted to share it over the Pack's telepathic connection,

"He's tasked with watching the Cullens while they're in the Truce Zones."

"That explains why he hangs out with Bella sometimes," Jacob realized aloud and Sam's eyes were suddenly like fire.

"What did you say?"

"He hangs out with Bella Swan sometimes, you've seen it in my head, you know," Jacob shrugged, he'd thought on it a few times on his first patrols. It wasn't like it was a secret.

"Holy shit," Jared whispered as if it Beau had just arrived and stabbed a knife in their backs.

"Do you know why he meets with her?" the Pack leader pressed and Jacob had the feeling that Sam had only posed it as a question in order to seem more polite.

"I thought you did?" Jacob was beginning to feel agitated against his will, Sam should have asked when he first thought about it! It had been practically ages since that day on the porch.

"I'm pretty sure she said your name?"

'Don't tell anyone you saw here here', Beau's words suddenly came back to him and Jacob had the sickening realization that Sam might not know about the girl who was dating a Vampire.

"Hey," Jacob swallowed suddenly as he realized it, "Has he said anything to you about a Vampire dating a human girl?"

In that moment all hell broke loose.

"Who is it?!" Paul stood to his feet snarling.

"it has to be Edward," Jared's tone was distressed, "He's the only one that doesn't have a partner or whatever they call them."

"Mates," Embry shook his head, "They're planning on making another freak."

"Over our dead bodies they are!" Paul slammed his fist on the table, "That THING practically mocks us just by existing!"

"What the hell are you all screaming about?!" Jacob knew he'd have to insert himself into the conversation or else he'd get lost.

All of the other Pack members looked at him awry before Sam sighed, "You're still training so I we haven't briefed you on their Coven's Dynamics and Powers. We should."

"Powers?!" Jacob felt like his jaw was going to drop through the floor.

"Start patrols," Sam ordered the others, "Me and Jacob are going to have the talk and head over to the Swans to see what the hell Beau's been keeping from us."

Jared, Embry, and Paul gave their affirmatives and took off, a couple of them still eating their sandwiches as they rushed out the doors.

"Some Vampires have Powers," Same started slowly and Jacob tried to calm himself to listen. The Pack leader headed over to a cupboard and opened it, only to pop out a false back, then pull from the secret compartment a metal safety box.

Bringing the box to the table Sam placed it down then went to drawer in the kitchen in order to pull the whole thing out and remove the key to the box off a small compartment off the hidden back of the thing.

"Each of the Cullens disclosed their abilities to Chief Black, then to me when they returned."

Sam slid the key into the safety box while Jacob watched with rapt attention. Pulling out a file the Pack leader gently pried it opened and began going through it.

First he tossed a rather newer picture of a blond man. He was easily in his 20s and looked like he belonged on a runway instead of a shitty Polaroid.

"That's the Doctor," Sam informed him, "He's the oldest, and the Clan's Patriarch. He has no powers but Chief Black claims his self control is legendary to the point that he's never fed off a human.

"He works at the hospital and has a clean record of never biting after signing the treaty."

Jacob stared at the picture and couldn't help but be creeped out by the idea of one of THEM around sick and vulnerable people.

"This is his Mate," Sam tossed the second photo in front of Jacob and he understood why the Pack leader had been so angry that Beau had been talking to Bella.

Her face stared right back at him in the picture, every inch of her the same as that day on the porch. Jacob had thought she was 16 at least,

"How old was she when he killed her?"

"We're not sure," Sam replied gravely, "But she's his key to power. Her ability is a Force Field like bubble. We're not sure how big it can get but according to them, it also nullifies the gifts of most other Blood Suckers."

"Jesus Christ," Jacob felt sick at the thought that she'd been bitten, killed. A girl who had to be around his own age, only to serve as some powerful shield. And that he would touch her, she was still a child!

"This is Elisha," Sam gave him another picture. Elisha didn't quite look like the other two but he did somehow. His features were less perfect, not so eerie. His eyes were an oak brown and his hair was a deep strawberry blond.

"He's-"

Sam cut himself off as if this was difficult to say, "He's the Doctor and Isabella's natural son."

Frowning Jacob didn't know what to think, "So they're about the same age then? If they had a kid before they were killed."

Then, horror dawned on Jacob as Sam shook his head gravely, "She was human and he wasn't. He's a hybrid."

"I'm gonna hurl," Jacob put a hand over his mouth as his stomach churned at the thought of it. How sick and twisted was he?! To do that to a teenage girl?!

Sam trudged forwards with a solemness that Jacob didn't blame him for, "He is gifted in being able to touch someone and see their history, even beyond what they themselves can remember.

"His Mate is powerless and her name is Esme. Both of them are teachers. The Hybrid teaches English at the high school and the female is a teacher at the daycare."

Jacob found her equally as disturbing as Bella, but was glad to see that she at least looked around the same age as Elisha, she hadn't been taken advantage of.

"Jasper is an Empath who can feel and control emotions," the picture of him was a bit more menacing that Jacob had thought the other's were, something about how deeply set his eyes were was unsettling,

"His Mate is Alice, she's prescient."

"Bullshit," Jacob hissed at the notion, the idea that some one could see the future was almost too much.

"It's based on choices," Sam informed him, "She sees results of what people decided."

They had quite a powerful Clan of blood suckers, Jacob frowned as Sam showed him the last picture,

"This is Edward, he's the only Unmated member of their Clan, and he's Telepathic. It works from a distance too just like Jasper's powers so they always have the upper hand during our meetings."

"They're practically a small army," Jacob didn't like it one bit, they were a mounted strike force just playing pretend family in that too large house. Every single one of them Cold Blooded killers in a doll house.

No matter what they said about the Doctor never feeding off a person, he'd clearly changed a few, and that was worse. He'd even done.. THAT to Bella, a girl he called his Mate! How horrific the pregnancy must have been! Had the child been as wild as the tales of Vampire Children that had been whispered for generations?

"Exactly," Sam placed all the pictures back into the folder and tucked it into the safety box, "And if Edward is intending to change that Human girl, there's a chance he'll create another Abomination with her."

"So we ask Beau why the hell he's been protecting them," Jacob could feel a wretched fury inside of him aching to be released.

* * *

It felt strange to be sitting in the front seat of Sam's truck with his cellphone pressed against his ear practically praying that Beau would answer his damn phone.

The sun was just crossing past high noon and it was a Sunday, so Beau was either with Angela or Leah.

On what felt like the thousandth ring, Beau's voice finally filled the speaker, "Jake! It's good to know your not dead! You feeling any better?"

"I would be if you said you were home right now," Jacob tried to press his anger down but it practically vibrated over his skin.

"Yeah," Beau sounded like he was frowning, "Um, I'm actually having a study group right now."

"We need to talk Beau," was the only thing he could find himself saying, "Sam's dropping me off in about 5 minutes so do with that what you will."

"Sam?" Beau's tone grew almost weak, "Like Sam Uley?"

"What other Sam?" he tried not to snarl at the other boy, Beau was always saying things without thinking. With that Jacob hung up the phone and watched the Swan house come closer.

There was a silver Volvo outside the house accompanying The Beast and as Jacob hopped out of the truck the stench of sickly burning perfume hit his nose as the urgent voice of his cousin talking to his 'Study Group'

"Some of them are here," Jacob hissed between gritted teeth and Sam's eyes narrowed at the car.

Out of the house came Beau Swan in all his gangly glory accompanied by Edward, Bella, and Angela Webber. The sight was enough to make Jacob's heart stop as Angela's hand was delicately entwined with the male Vampire's.

"What the hell is going on?!" Jacob raged as he felt himself stomping over towards his cousin,

"Are you actually allowing this?!"

"Edward, take Angela home," Bella's voice was hard and far less casual that Jacob remembered it sounding. He half expected Edward to hold his ground against the girl who looked younger than him but instead he began to drag Angela away. As if she hadn't thought he'd obey.

"We can't leave her!" Angela cried out and Jacob moved to grab her other hand, "Leave Angela here!"

Edward whispered to Angela softy, "Bella will be alright, she'll take care of it."

To his surprise Bella moved in front of the couple, "Leave them be, Edward won't harm her.

"Sam, you can follow them if you like. I'll stay here and talk to Jacob about what's been happening."

Jacob hated the authority she so easily seemed to speak with and was happy to hear Sam reply evenly, "I don't take orders from you."

"It was only a suggestion," She replied diplomatically and it had given Edward enough time to load Angela up in the car before practically peeling out away from the curb.

"Make this quick," Bella urged them, somehow she was STILL in control despite Sam's refusal to listen to her,

"My husband is on his way and I doubt you want to deal with two of us."

The words were a slap to the face that Jacob felt viscerally, as if he and Sam wouldn't like even odds. When they were the ones with bloated numbers.

"Let's go inside," Beau recommended a bit nervously, Jacob could practically smell his anxiety rolling off of him.

"Good idea," Bella agreed with a small smile and began to follow Beau into the Swan house.

"Sam," Jacob didn't like feeling as if she was controlling the field. It was in her tone and the way she moved, a presumption of authority he hadn't felt when they first met.

"You go in there Jake, I'm going to pull around and be in the forest just beyond the yard."

It helped knowing that Sam would be around, but part of him worried over Angela, he'd likely check on her when this meeting was over. Taking a breath, Jacob finally followed the other two into the house.

The Swan home was a place he'd been a thousand times. Snapshots of a life lived decorated the walls and Jacob himself was in many of them. He and Beau had been inseparable for all their lives until the Cullens arrived and ruined everything. Now Beau was keeping secrets for them and Jacob couldn't understand how the boy that had been so scared of a massacre had suddenly chosen their side.

"So, you going to explain why you haven't' told Sam that these Blood Suckers are planing on killing Angela?" Jacob couldn't help the anger in his voice.

Beau swallowed nervously and to Jacob's endless frustration, Bella stepped forwards, "You presume a lot Jacob Black."

"And you keep acting like you're in charge here when you're not," Jacob hissed and Bella actually looked like she was going to laugh!

"This is a Truce Area," She said the words as if she was lecturing him, "Nobody but Beau is in charge here seeing as he's the only Human."

"So," Jacob pressed again, "When were you going to tell Sam?!"

"I don't know Jacob!" Beau finally spat the words out nervously, "I didn't mean to hide it, but then Edward and I took a drive.

"A very very long drive and I couldn't- I didn't know what to think anymore!"

"They're clearly just telling you what you want to hear!" Jacob tried to make him see reason, desperation was clawing inside of him,

"Edwards a Telepath! And he got inside your head!"

Beau didn't look convinced and it was the most infuriating thing in the world as the Human said,

"I've spent time with them. They're a family Jacob, and Edward loves her so much. It's like- It's crazy how much he loves her.

"He's been waiting for her for over a hundred year and it's not right taking that away. I won't be part of it."

"He should have been dead over a hundred years ago! He should have died at the ripe old age of 80 something!" Jacob protested.

Bella though, turned her golden eyes onto him and actually snarled, "Edward was going to die at the age of 17 form an epidemic.

"A life unlived, we saved him."

"And Angela isn't' dying of anything!" Jacob reminded her and Bella actually laughed, soft and almost sad sounding,

"Every day she's dying of old age. Every hour she risks getting hit by a car, slipping on ice and breaking her neck, little girls die everyday."

The words were chilling.

How old was she that Bella saw people as just slowly rotting lives? It was a sick way to live, looking around you and seeing only death.

"Edward has bonded to her," Bella spoke again, and sounded almost as if she was conveying something important,

"What they've been given will never be forgotten, even if it's forsaken. They will always be part of each other now, even if they're separated."

"So you're saying there's no choice in this," Jacob didn't know how to feel about that, his mind reminded him that Sam and Emily were locked in a choicless union they claimed to be completely pleased about.

They actually seemed in love.

"There's a choice," Bella informed him calmly, there was an eeriness to her quiet that sent shivers down his spine as she explained,

"Breaking the bond requires absolute separation for a very long period."

Her eyes practically glassed over and became distant, "It's painful, almost like having a phantom black hole inside of you that slowly consumes you until you've practically wasted away."

She shook herself then and her eyes were back in the present, "Once it heals, things get better, but there is always a scar where someone else's heart once was."

Jacob wondered what her story was then, that she so obviously knew what if felt like. Had she run? Had Dr. Cullen chased her down and forced her to submit to him and become the wife of a monster?

"If it heals then you should have them break it," Jacob demanded knowing he was letting his anger get the better of him, not caring,

"Let him find someone else!"

"No," Bell stared him down, like he was the evil one, "Angela has to make that choice. No one else."

"You're not letting her," Jacob was shouting again and he couldn't help but stalk forwards.

Bella didn't flinch as he approached and snarled, "You can't see past your own selfish interest in getting a little wife for your blood sucking friend!"

"That's not true," she grit her teeth and Jacob felt such a satisfaction of seeing her begin to lose her composure as he egged her on,

"It is! You don't even care that your going to end the life of a girl with a family that loves her!"

"Have some compassion," Bella replied with such a level of scorn that she was practically scolding him,

"Or can you not see beyond your own Tribe's prejudices to realize that this life isn't the curse you've so blindly accepted it is?"

He saw red, how dare she think he was the one lacking compassion! All he could think is 'How Dare She'

'How Dare She'

Over and over a million times in a split moment and for the first time in days, Jacob Black lost his composure and punched Isabella Cullen.

She reeled back, as his fist slammed into her face, her mouth was wide opened along with her eyes. Bella appeared almost appalled as she straitened up to look at him. There was only the tiniest of cracks in her face and it was already healing while Jacob had to flex the soreness out of his hand.

"Jacob what the hell is wrong with you?!" Beau screamed and Jacob registered a sound he hand't before, a growling engine like suped up panther was purring outside.

The ignition cut and Bella swallowed before whispering, "Pray."

She then vaulted over the couch and began rushing outside as quickly as she could without the Humans freaking out.

"Oh God Dr. Cullen's here," Beau cringed as he rushed to peek out the window.

Jacob realized then that he'd attacked Bella, the Clan Leader's Mate unprovoked in a Truce Area.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you wondering, Bella didn't activate her Bubble because she wasn't expecting him to ACTUALLY swing for her, AND she didn't want to show her own aggression and escalate the situation. (she can handle herself without the bubble after all)


	4. Sam Uley

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy here we go this got a semblance of a plot suddenly

Standing across from the Cullens, seeing the Hybrid bumping his hand against the Telepaths' while all the Mated Pairs held hands, Sam didn't get them.

Not that he didn't understand that they were all once people who had been cursed to a lifeless existence, roaming all of time only to spread death or their affliction to others. Sam had grown up on stories just as all the other children had. He had the lesson that you didn't trust Cold Creatures drilled into his head.

Which was why the Treaty bothered him a little.

He respected Chief Black's agreement to make it. The Cullens were many and the Wolves at the time were few but Sam couldn't' reconcile the part of the tale that said Carlisle Cullen was the one to propose it.

Sam didn't get them.

He couldn't comprehend them when Old Quil insisted they were to be given respect for rising above their baser instincts and he couldn't understand them when Beau sat there at the table saying, "Sometimes I think they're not pretending for Humans, but for themselves."

Sam couldn't grasp their motivations or even reasons for even just doing whatever it was they did as his pack grew larger and the other boys jeered and joked about the Cold Ones and their weird life style of drinking animals and going to school or work like they were actual people.

And as he looked at Emily and saw his universe, everything that held him to the skin of the Earth, he couldn't comprehend them ever feeling that way about their Mates, no matter what Old Quil said.

He'd spent whole evenings pouring over the files in the safety box that Billy had given him, and Sam struggled with every word on each hand written page of Ephraim Black's journal. Sam's mind rebelled against the clearly scrawled words of their last Great Chief claiming that he'd once wrestled in the moon light with Carlisle Cullen and ran through rivers and meadows with Edward.

How the great Chief had made an entire afternoon of trying to break into Bella's bubble, while Emmett had attempted to ride him like a bull.

As if Ephraim had gone beyond a treaty and formed an odd friendship with the Vampires which had stalked their lands. None of it made sense and while Sam knew it intellectually, he couldn't quite accept it.

It couldn't be reconciled with the tales he'd heard of the violence their kind wreaked with something akin to pleasure. How single mindedly vengful and blood thirsty they were said to be.

So Sam shoved it aside and never tried to think about it, never dwelling on it enough for the others to really see it in his head when they were running together.

It wasn't until he heard Bella Cullen say, "What they've been given can never be forgotten, even if it's forsaken.They will always be part of each other now, even if they're separated."

And then went on to inform Jacob that breaking the Bond was like dying and never fully recovering from it...

Well, Sam was beginning to get the picture a little bit.

Then Jacob had to punch her like a fool and Dr. Cullen had likely heard it as he had pulled up the Swan home. The sound of Jacob's fist crashing into her marble like flesh was akin to hearing a sledge hammer ramming into a brick wall.

Not trusting the Coven leader's so called legendary control and compassion, Sam found himself rushing on foot towards the Swan house.

As he leapt over the Swan's back fence Sam could hear Bella rather frantically saying, "Carlisle stay in the car!"

Only for Carlisle to respond with a very cold and emotionless, "He hit you."

There was a rumbling noise coming out of the Doctor as Sam rushed out of the Swan's side gate and he was incredibly grateful to find Jacob still in one piece standing in front of Beau just off the porch.

Carlisle Cullen fists were balled at his sides as he stared down Jacob Black while Bella had her hands on his chest, placating. Not holding him back, but assuring.

Sam was suddenly hit by the image of it, how similar it had been that day that he'd so horrifically injured Leah while Emily had calmed him with just a touch. Jacob looked ready to actually try to take the Vampire while Beau was tearing his hair out at the possibility of a super human showdown happening in his front lawn.

Feeling like he arrived just in time, Sam ordered, "Jacob stand down! If you so much as move an inch away from that porch I'm sending you back to the truck!"

"I'm glad you decided to stay Sam!" Bella sounded relieved, and Sam truly believed that she was mostly happy about the fact that Treaty was still holding itself together by a thread after that stunt his Pack Brother had pulled.

Jacob snarled but backed up to join Beau closer to the house, before hissing under his breath so that the neighbors wouldn't hear, "Damn it Sam! You heard what they're planning."

"And we're not discussing this outside!" Sam scolded him as he came between the Vampire pair and his boys,

"Dr. Cullen, Bella."

"Mr. Uley," Carlisle said the greeting with a deadly calm that Sam could practically feel in his bones. Bella's tiny hands removed themselves from the intimate way she'd been touching her Mate, no doubt unwilling to risk people seeing them in such a state. The male Vampire's fists remained balled so tightly Sam could practically see the unused veins pulsing in his barely exposed wrists.

"Jacob lost control," Sam tried to explain but it rang hallow in his own chest as he knew if Jacob had really lost it, the kid would have Phased in the living room, instead he'd swung. Which meant that he'd only lost his temper and not his actual grip over his instincts,

"He's still young and our newest, I ask that you not hold this against him."

Terror, that was the word that could describe Sam's mental state. Jacob was right, the Cullen Clan was a small army and their pack was still sort of a rag tag ensemble of boys trying to learn how to live with their new Gifts.

They couldn't afford a fight with them.

"There are few things I am willing to face the fires of hell for," Carlisle informed him still as calm as the eye of a hurricane, inhumanly still and unblinking, "And defending my family is one of them.

"Your Brother hit Isabella and I if I cannot defend from his violent outburst, I will demand a meeting over what will be done."

Sam tried to stand tall, be the leader that his people wanted, to protect his Tribe from their wrath,

"I'll inform the Elders. When do you want to meet?"

"Tonight," Carlisle replied shortly in such a way that Sam suspected that he'd rather have been granted an actual swing at Jacob. Which didn't fit with the extremely kind way Ephraim had described the Cullen Patriarch when it came to his non-violent lifestyle.

Then in a very tense and contrite tone, Beau spoke up from his place by the porch, "Charlie is going to be home any minute and I have no idea how to explain all of you."

They had all been speaking low enough that the neighbors wouldn't hear but the fact was that they were quite a crowd all gathered on Chief Ranger Swan's front lawn. All the Humans who happened to peek out their window would see 4 teenagers and Dr. Cullen.

Their formation even looked suspect, like Bella was trying to stop Forks' premier surgeon from sticking them all in the ICU.

Carlisle pulled the keys to the grey and black car he'd driven over and pressed them into Bella's hands. He whispered something to her, too fast and low for even Sam's keen ears too pick up properly. The Doctor's tension breaking for only a flash as he did so.

"Thank you Beau, for taking your time with me and Edward today," Bella spoke casually then, "We'll be going and preparing our family for tonight."

She then began to walk towards the car and as if tethered together, Dr. Cullen moved with her. Loading himself into the passenger side of the vehicle, he said nothing more. Bella herself slipped into the drivers side, adjusted the seat, and started the car before pulling away from the house.

Tension eased and Sam forced himself to breath so that he wouldn't be tempted to throttle Jacob himself when he turned around.

"That was a really nice car," Beau blurted and Sam had to huff out a weak laugh or else he was going to do something he'd regret.

"Beau you're an idiot," Jacob heaved a great angry sigh.

"Oh I'm the idiot?" Beau rather stupidly challenged and Jacob cast him a glare that didn't seem to phase the Human.

"Both of you that's enough," Sam shook his head at the pair, could they really not see how horrifically that could have gone?!

Not a more than a few moments later Charlie pulled up in his ranger giving them all a speculative look as he cut the engine and climbed out,

"There a party going on?"

"Jacob and Sam are parked out back," Beau shrugged a bit, "They just swung by to say Hi."

Charlie nodded to Sam and Jacob in greeting. Sam hoped that the man wouldn't ask too much more,

"Chief Swan."

"You two can stay for dinner if you like," Charlie offered, always being generous.

"Emily's already invited Jake over," Sam rejected the offer easily, "We should go or she'll worry."

"Right," Jacob huffed, still sounding impossibly upset about how everything had happened.

Together they made their way out back to Sam's truck, the whole way, he was reminding himself that Jacob WAS still the newest, the least experienced. But Sam had trusted him not to dance along the lines of breaking the Treaty!

As Sam drove his truck down the road, he tried his best to focus only on the pavement ahead of him.

"Sam, I-"

"Don't," Sam cut off whatever Jacob was about to say, no matter how much contrition his Pack Brother seemed to be able to muster. Sam was feeling sick with worry and anger at the situation he'd been forced into by the younger man's thoughtless actions,

"You can't even imagine what you've done. Do you think he's going to just let you walk away from attacking his Mate?

"What if Charlie had gotten home early and saw that?! What if the noise alerted a neighbor and they called the police thinking it was a gun shot?!

"What if the curtains had been opened and a passerby saw you?! Jacob you could've risked ALL of us and they're going to demand their pound of flesh out of you!"

"I didn't mean to lose my temper!"Jacob sounded like the weight of his actions were actually starting to sink in, finally.

"But you did!" Sam gripped the steering wheel and wished for a moment that he could use all his strength but pulled himself back from breaking it,

"In a Truce Zone! Even worse in front of a Human!"

"Beau is one of us!" Jacob protested and Sam growled at his idiocy,

"He may be! But he'd not a member of the Pack and that's what matters! You could have killed him if you'd Phased!

"The Treaty not only exists to have peace but to protect our people and the people of Forks!"

Sam let out a trembling sigh as Jacob pressed his face into his hands with a groan. As if he hadn't even considered the fact that Beau's blood was almost on his hands.

"Jacob, you're lucky she didn't tear you apart right then and there for attacking her during parlay," Sam swallowed hard.

"She's not exactly impressive," Jacob still sounded a bit distressed, "I mean she didn't even activate her force field.

Sam's heart sunk deep into his belly and he knew he had to tell Jacob what Levi had written in Bella's file.

"I said it was a force field LIKE bubble. I didn't say it was a force field," Sam whispered as he tried to imagine what Bella may demand Jacob's fate to be. It would be gruesome.

"What's the difference?" Jacob's voice was growing hollow as if he feared what Sam was about to say.

"Because she doesn't really use it as a force field all the time," Sam shuddered as he tried to be brave for this boy, Jacob needed to know exactly who he had provoked,

"She uses it like a pit trap. Only it's no one in or out."

"Shit," Jacob spat the curse and slammed his fist down on his own knee.

"In Ephraim's journal," he forced himself to continue on, there was no time for showing Jacob the writings and running back wasn't going to be fast enough so a telepathic dump was out,

"There's an account from my Great Grandfather Levi Uley, he said that he'd witnessed it. And that whatever she traps doesn't ever last very long."

Letting out a long breath Jacob nodded a bit, clearly trying not to panic even more than he already was, "I didn't- There's no way she's going to ask for that."

"That's not what I'm saying!" Sam wondered why Jacob thought that's what it was, "I'm trying to tell you that she's ruthless!

"Out of the two of them, the one that wanted to rip you apart right then and there was the NICE one!"

Jacob looked like he was going to be sick and Sam tried to tell himself that the kid needed to know what he was up against. Telling him all of that wasn't done in an attempt to scare him but prepare for what they might demand.

* * *

"You what?!" Billy Black looked pale as death as he thundered at his son the way only a father could. Sam closed his eyes slowly and reminded himself that they needed to move past the telling part.

"I didn't mean to hit her," Jacob swallowed and Embry was covering his face like he thought the world was ending, while Jared gave a low whistle. Paul though, he snorted, and Sam glared at him putting all the anger and disdain he could managed towards the guy.

"They want a meeting to determine what's to be done," Sam trudged forwards and while he was able to look at Billy and Harry, there was something about the look in Old Quil's eyes that made the Pack Leader unable to meet them.

"He didn't say when, only at night," Jacob crossed his arms and Old Quil clarified,

"That simply means we should be at the meeting place by dusk."

Then the old man let out a deep sigh which betrayed how weary he was, "We are fortunate that they have decided to meet and did not enact retribution immediately."

"Fortunate?!" Billy scoffed, as if he couldn't actually believe the words, "He's supposed to have legendary self control! Yet from Jacob's account it sounds as if he reacted like any other member of his Clan."

"She's his Mate," Quil reminded him with an edged to his voice, "And I wasn't talking about Carlisle Cullen.

"Bella, while possessing kindness is cunning and the moment Jacob hit her, I have no doubt she began formulating what she wished to demand from us."

"Oh," Harry sounded incredulous, "So now you admit they are malicious in their intent towards our land and people?!"

"It is her right!" Old Quil's voice rumbled like a galloping wind, "We were the ones who acted against the terms set, and now she has a right to view us as threats until we make an offering of peace.

"More than 50 years they've claimed the entire Olympic Peninsula as their land. In all those years they have defended it from other Covens who sought destruction and displayed a wanton lust for human blood.

"They have never broke their word. Jacob has displayed a disregard for all those years of peace because of his own lack of self control. If we stand with him we will be saying that we do not care that they have kept themselves in regulation all this time."

Jacob's face was clearly shattered, Sam could practically feel the anxiety rolling off of him as he grit his teeth, "Then what are we going to do?"

"We're going to give them whatever they ask for," Sam declared, he knew it was the right thing to do. Old Quil was right, they were foul creatures but there were those that were much fouler and the Cullens had proven themselves able protectors of their territory from less savory members of their species.

Had their grandfathers and fathers not lived peaceful lives because of the lack of Cold Creatures who dared tread over the land which made up the Olympic Peninsula? The only reason Sam himself had Phased was because of the Cullens arrival.

He was beginning to see.

Sam was beginning to grasp it.

What Old Quil had been saying all that time.

The truths that his instincts rebelled against.

Had Beau seen it too? Is that why he had done what he had? There was no way to tell as Sam could not be inside that partciular head.

"None of this would be happening if Beau had just done his job and not stabbed us in the back," Paul barked out balefully, as he crossed his arms, clearly not appreciating Sam's earlier rebuke.

"Paul is correct," Harry provided in a supporting tone, "Beau has concealed his activities and plotted with them to kill Angela Webber."

Bella's words rang in Sam's ears at that.

She had claimed that their life wasn't a curse.

Those were not the kind of words he expected from a girl who's existence ran contrary to what their kind normally saw as natural. Who spent her life pretending to be human, acting like she was not married, and even resisting her instincts to drink human blood.

Pretending all the time that you weren't a killer, even lying to yourself by feeding off animals instead.

That kind of life definitely seemed like a curse to him.

"Thoughts are not actions," Sam found himself saying against his own will. Suddenly Quil Ateara's eyes met his, and Sam was unable to look away as he continued,

"If we punished them for plans and thoughts, then we ourselves would be guiltier for wanting to end the life of Elisha Cullen who has never existed as anything but what he is."

Something like approval showed in the old man's eyes and Sam felt something inside of him grow. Like a snake shedding it's skin to find itself no longer a serpent but a wise and powerful dragon,

"We will hear their demands and determine if they are equal to what we feel are necessary reparations.

"Though I'm not inclined to deny them anything to keep our people safe."

There was a clear atmosphere of disapproval all around him, but as Sam continued to feel Old Quil's approving gaze, he was determined not to waver. Determined to weigh all things first.

To, for the first time, imitate the Cullens and fight his natural instincts of revulsion against what they were and to see them as Ephraim Black had somehow managed to.

For his safety.

For his people.

For peace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bella *Traps someone in her bubble*: Welcome to the THUNDERDOME MOTHER FUCKER


	5. Billy Black

They were in some sort of battle formation.

That much was obvious.

Billy Black tried to push down his worry as he clutched the armrests of his wheel chair while his eyes took in the Cullen Clan's seemingly restless movements.

Unlike the first time they met, after the required 21 days, none of the mated pairs seemed to be near each other at all. While they had all been holding hand in loose pairs the first time, the Cullens now seemed to be scattered senselessly.

That was, if you did not know what Powers they possessed.

Carlisle Cullen stood at the front of the group, on his right was Jasper, and to his left Edward looking for all the world like two sentinels guarding their Leader.

In the far back, Bella was being circled by Esme, Rosalie, and Alice in what had to be a nearly 10 foot circumference. in the middle point between the two groups was Elisha facing east while Emmett faced west, both of them back to back.

Clearly their heaviest defenses were around their leader as almost all the Blood Drinkers which possessed Dark Powers surrounded him. Billy wondered at the two boys with Carlisle though, Jasper's ability didn't seem too useful in a fight but Edward did make sense as a mind reader would be damn near impossible to defeat.

Why not the Seer on his right? She too would prove a fearsome hurdle.

The ones lacking Powers surrounding Bella made sense, as her bubble nullified them and but why the Seer? Was her Power not useless inside the field? Then there was the fact that Elisha was paired with Emmett. What reason was there for such a team?

He could begin to make sense of their locations but could not fully understand them. Perhaps he lacked certain knowledge regarding each them, whatever their reasoning they clearly came expecting a fight.

"You approach with hostility," Billy could not shake the feeling of impending danger as he spoke and they continued to move.

"You attacked my Mate unprovoked," Carlisle Cullen replied and while he looked calm, his tone was as dead as he had been for what was likely centuries.

"Yet you come to offer apology fully equipped to do battle."

Billy had to swallow back his ire at that.

The only member of the Pack in human form was Sam, while the others flanked him fully Shifted, forming a wall in front of the Human Elders.

A growl began to rumble in the chest of the blond boy at Carlisle's right, as if he was having difficulty remaining impassive in the situation before him.

"Jasper no," Carlisle spoke up turning just slightly to the boy flanking him. His tone still emotionless.

"Switch with Alice if you must, but contain yourself," Carlisle ordered and the words brooked no room for arguments or rebuttal as Jasper did not even acknowledge the older Vampire beyond ceasing his growling.

"Good," Carlisle gave a nod, an turned back to Billy himself and the other Elders who were gathered behind the wall of the Wolf Pack which stood shoulder to shoulder.

"We did not come to fight. My family has always viewed your tribe as our allies in protecting this territory.

"But I am not so foolish as to let go of the blatant disrespect my Mate has been shown so I must ask for reparations."

"Name them," Sam requested, and Billy felt a swell of pride mixed with apprehension. For all intents and purposes, Sam was acting Chief until Jacob was fully trained. His word was law and he was young, prone to being swayed by others.

"And we will weigh them against the crime."

"First," Carlisle was still calm, and Billy wondered at it, as the Vampire did not seem enraged or feral as it had been reported, but there was indeed an air of something wild to the stillness he maintained. Inhuman, that was how he moved, without breathing or blinking. As if he had all his focus dedicated to his words as apposed to the charade he had maintained for the people of Forks.

"I ask Angela Webber to bear witness that this was not Jacob Black's first crime against my family. I also call upon Beau Swan to confirm this."

Then like links of a tiny chain Beau Swan then very slowly, calmly, holding hands with Angela Webber who was tightly gripping the hand of Leah Clearwater, crept into the clearing from just right of where Bella and her Guard was restlessly moving.

Billy suddenly felt his stomach sink.

There was no words for how the betrayal seeing both Beau and Leah under the starlit night stung.

"Leah!" Harry Clearwater, the girl's own father, hissed dangerously just as Sam grit his teeth and growled,

"Leah what do you think you're doing standing with them?!"

"I don't give a damn about them or the Treaty!" Leah snarled right back viciously, and Billy was surprised to see that none of the Cullens flinched or looked surprised as the young girl shouted down at the leader of the Wolf Pack,

"I'm here for Beau and Angela!"

And didn't that feel like a slap to the face. How deep did the betrayal run? Billy's own Nephew had become unfaithful to his blood and seduced Leah along that path as well, no doubt praying upon the heartbreak which Sam had caused her.

How cruel Beau was to drag her down such a path!

"No," Harry shook his head violently ,"I will not hear of it, they should not be here!"

"You are here to apologize!" Carlisle's voice was loud and demanded such authority that Billy was shaken. Never had he heard the Vampire speak so, with a power and force that demanded obeisance,

"This is not a negotiation. This is not a discussion, we are justifying and laying out our terms for your Wolf Pack's repentance."

Silence reigned through the clearing and Billy felt himself shudder at the absolute authority which rang out of Carlisle Cullen. How ancient was he? How long had he roamed the Earth to gain such gravity?

Finally, when no one had the audacity to be contrary, the Clan Leader spoke.

"Angela tell them what Jacob told you," Cullen's voice was so soft then, the contrast to his previous tone was enough to give Billy whiplash. He spoke to the human girl as if he was a protector, offering comfort.

Angela Webber, the daughter of the local Pastor, stepped forwards, never letting go of Beau and Leah's hands as she swallowed back her fear.

The girl eyed the Wolves as if they would descend and rip her to shreds at any moment, which Billy was tempted to scoff at. She was in the middle of Blood Drinking creatures born from the pits of darkness and she feared the Sentinels provided by the Great Spirits!

"One night, after going to a movie with Beau and Leah, Jacob mentioned that the 'Vampire House' had been moved into," the girl was clearly nervous and took a breath before she continued.

With her next words Billy's heart sank impossibly deeper into the earth.

"Then Beau and Leah change the topic of conversation but the next day I asked Jacob what he'd meant and he told me the story of how his Great Grandfather, who was a Spirit Warrior, had met Vampires who didn't kill Humans then made a treaty with them.

"And how the Tribe Believed the Cullens were the very same Vampires from back then."

Billy closed his eyes in horror.

Snarling and yapping could be heard as the Wolves grew restless with every single new word she'd spoken.

"Jacob, is this true?" Sam demanded as he turned to look at the second largest Wolf in the Pack. Jacob's fur was a rusty umber, and the Wolf body he inhabited bowed it's head, cowed.

Accepting of the words.

Sam cursed under his breath then. Billy himself felt like the entire world was falling down around him, shattered at his feet. He'd lost so much in his life, his wife, his legs, and while his daughters were still alive they hardly came around because of the memories of their beloved mother which haunted their home.

And now this.

Jacob had broken the treaty.

Then added insult to injury by punching the Mate of the Clan's leader in the face in a Truce Zone.

They could rightfully demand the boy's life.

"Quiet!" Sam ordered the Wolves who were still barking and snapping at the Cullens who stood stalwart across the way.

The boys obeyed and Billy could see in Sam's eyes how tired he was, how he too expected what Billy did. That the Cullens wold demand the life of the Next Great Chief from them that very night.

To have him handed over and slaughtered by their Clan.

"They all think we're going to kill him," Edward spoke suddenly, he had not spoken during the previous meeting, but none of them had save for Carlisle and Bella. It was a strange thing, but understood the importance of Edward's place next to his Leader.

Jasper whispered something which had Sam gritting his teeth and caused Emmett to bark out a laugh but the bigger boy did not reply.

Instead, Carlisle spoke once again, "We will not demand his life from him. My Mate has seen this as an opportunity.

"Yes, a life will be given for his transgression, but it will be a life full of happiness. We demand permission for Angela Webber to be bitten and changed."

If Angela's words had caused an uproar, Carlisle Cullens' had released the hounds of hell itself as Harry began sounds of protest amid the renewed snarling and yowls of the Wolf Pack.

"We are fortunate," Old Quil suddenly shouted with his rumbling voice over the din causing the pandemonium to die down so he could be heard.

"We are fortunate," he repeated far quieter, "That you and your family value mercy over blood."

Billy knew they couldn't say no, his own son's life could have been forfeit, but that was his tasks a protector, a Sentinel. Angela Webber was a Human girl meant to be protected!

It was like death had come over the forest with the silence that had fallen over the assembly. Cullen waited patiently, his Clan still in battle formation idling, waiting for agreement or an attack.

"How can we permit this?" Harry cried out desperately, "How can we be complicit in this girl's death?

"Jacob was not aware of the truth of our Histories, and his striking your Mate is not such a severe crime! His instincts make her his enemy and he is young!

"What is she to you but a Wife?! Should she die you would only take another!"

Suddenly the Cullens were no longer silent. A loud rumbling like a lion's roar began sounding in Edward and Jasper's chests while the others began to hiss and growl at Harry Clearwater's words.

Even Carlisle was trembling, as a wild noise began to rip through his throat like a roar.

For the first time, Billy could truly see how menacing these creatures were beyond their horrifyingly balanced features. Like animals they grit their teeth and rumbled.

It was once again with power that Carlisle Cullen boomed, "Isabella is not my Mate because one day I simply wished her to be.

"She is the light that God let down from the heavens to bring reason to my ceaseless days, the blessing that came after Satan himself had lost his wager over me as he did Job. My own heart reborn in a woman who contains worlds which she created to contain our love.

"So no, I do not ask too much of you. What is the the humanity of one girl in exchange for the price of the Universe that Jacob Black teetered upon ending?"

Billy could practically feel the conviction and devotion in his words as the Vampire described his feeling for the young woman who stood back, appearing for all the world unaffected by his words save for a light tug of a smile on her face.

As if they were words uttered a thousand times over a thousand lifetimes.

A truth.

"But your Bonds can be broken," Sam replied, surprising all of them with his knowledge. Billy stared at the boy and wondered at how he came to know this.

"Only at the beginning," Carlisle replied firmly, "Once they have been established, and love has truly bloomed, not even death can end them."

"But you have a choice to walk away," Sam tried again, "Angela could walk away and never need to be changed."

"So it is not as Powerful as imprinting," Harry observed as if he was hopeful, "She may yet say no because it is a much weaker thing if it can be broken."

"Right," Sam agreed and suddenly a snarl ripped through the forest, echoing against the hardwood trees and it was not one of the Cullens, but Leah who had marched up to stand next to Edward as she shouted with all the rage of a she-wolf,

"All of you can shut the hell up! How dare you say it's WEAKER because they actually have a choice?!

"They all chose! Every single one of them walked into love with open arms, knowing they could walk away but they STAYED!

"Who's to say that doesn't make it stronger?!"

The words rocked through the trees and their mighty boughs. It was as if they brought down the stars as Sam closed his eyes, then bowed his head.

"Don't let your own hurt feelings give them more credit than they are due," Sam replied harshly and then the celestial lights truly did descend as Leah's eyes became like fire and she moved towards him.

The Wolves moved forward to protect their Unshifted leader but the action did not temper the absolute rage in Leah as she lunged and did the impossible.

Under the silver moon, her skin became fur as white as freshly fallen snow before she barreled into the Pack.

Instantly over the entirety of the Cullen Clan a shimmering bubble formed as the Wolf which Leah had become began wrestling with the rest of the Pack.

Billy's heart was in his chest as he watched her and Sam, who had Shifted at some point wrestle. Suddenly Jacob was at his side, human, and carrying him away from the scene of chaos and miracles.

He could hear shouting that sounded like Carlisle crying out, "Drop the barrier Bella he's dying!"

And as Jacob, his very own son, carried him further and further Billy wondered what would become of them all.

* * *

In the morning, Harry Clearwater would be hospitalized at Forks General but his life would go on, saved by the Vampire Doctor who had jumped into enemy territory, over a fight between two Wolves and gotten to work.

Fortunate, they were indeed that the Cullens valued mercy over blood.

By the time the sun set once more, Sam had shook Carlisle Cullen's hand and forfeited Angela Webber's life with no danger to the Treaty.

Everything changed that night.

Yet everything also stayed.

"She imprinted on Beau," Jacob said the words early in the morning after Sam had made his deal with the Cullens.

"Leah," the boy clarified, "Apparently she just wouldn't calm down and Beau, the idiot, jumped in front of her so Dr. Fang could get Harry out of the forest and to his car."

"Good for her," Billy sighed and tried his best to truly be glad for the girl who had struggled with her lot of being injured and rejected by a boy she'd loved since her early teens.

"I keep running through that night and wondering what the hell happened," Jacob was clearly lost. Billy wasn't sure what to say to him.

As far as he knew, Leah had refused to come back to the reservation in order to join the pack and had taken up residence on the Swan's futon in the den more permanently than ever. Jennie wasn't talking citing the fact that she was Beau's mother first and foremost, so she would stand by him.

The only thing Sam would say on the whole matter was, "He saved Harry's life. Dr. Cullen didn't have to.

"Harry was the one trying to minimize Jacob's mistakes and justify them so that we wouldn't apologize and Dr. Cullen saved his life.

"That's enough for me."

And Sam was right. That simple truth was enough to rock the foundation of what a man believed.

Carlisle Cullen had practically raged at them for justice and then proceeded to put everything aside to save a man he was nowhere near beholden to. Isabella too, had bubbled her family away from a fight that wasn't theirs, then dropped that safety net, exposing every single one of her Clan Members to the danger so that her husband could save the man who had just called their bond inferior.

All he could find himself saying was, "I don't know son."

"This changes everything," Jacob put his head in his hands, "And it's all my fault. If I'd kept my mouth shut or if I'd just kept myself under control, none of this would have happened!

"Angela would still be protected by the Treaty, Leah would still be home with her father, and Beau would probably actually still be talking to me."

"Jacob," Billy took a breath and tried his best to be what his son needed, he couldn't say that none of it was Jacob's fault, that nothing would have changed if he'd been more reverent for their beliefs, but rebukes were not what the boy needed to hear as they sat together eating breakfast.

"Mistakes get made, and that's life, but we can't let those mistakes be the things that define us. We have to move past it and be better so those mistakes don't happen again.

"Learn from this. Use it as motivation to learn control and focus on it when you hear legends and stories that seem too magical to possibly be real, remember that you once lashed out and did not believe and this was the consequence, then be better."

Jacob did not look comforted, but there could be no comfort in the fact that his cousin had taken the Cullen's side and his friend Angela had chosen a curse over her humanity.

Like a wounded animal, Jacob flinched away and pulled himself up away from the breakfast table. Billy watched helplessly as his son rushed out of the dinning room in a rage only to continue all the way out the front door.

Billy closed his eyes as a Wolf howled and somehow, in his bones, he felt that things were only just beginning.


	6. Leah Clearwater

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have to say, this was easily the most fun chapter to write right next to Beau's

Leah Clearwater's heart was broken.

Sam had shattered it and tossed it into a bog where Leah was forced to wade through and shove her hands into the silt, reeds, and muck in order to search for the slivers of it. Up to her elbows in grime, she could barely see through the tears as everyone watched from the side lines and commented on how sad it was for Sam having to leave her.

How sad it was for Sam that he'd broken her arm and ran off with Emily in one fell swoop because that's just what happens sometimes when you're a Shapeshifter.

Oh, and Leah? She needed to respect it.

Not give him grief over it.

Then, just as she felt the bitterness taking over, and Leah thought she was going to drown in the mud that covered her up to her chin, Beau arrived.

He rolled up his sleeves and began wading in the bog right next to her saying, "It was such a beautiful thing to have broken, let's put it back together."

Slowly then, he helped collect the many slivers of her heart and began to glue them back together with little whispers at night in his room. Small smiles over breakfast.

All the while he held her hand.

And Leah loved again.

She wasn't in love with Beau. It wasn't like that at all.

No.

She loved him though, as earnestly and passionately as anyone had ever loved. Beau had become her hand to hold and the place she could rest who didn't want her because she was beautiful or kissed him, he just wanted her around.

He held her hand.

And Leah felt like she didn't have to be the responsible one, but she also didn't have to make Beau relax in order to help him have fun either like she had always needed to for Sam. It was like having a big brother who was impossibly younger than her.

So when he looked her in they eye and said, "I need your help with something. If you don't want to do it, I understand, but I can't do this alone and Angela is in too deep to tell the difference."

Leah simply held his hand right back.

Even as he drove down the path of that old forest road to a house they were forbidden from approaching while occupied.

"What the hell are we doing Beau?" Leah had thought that they were going to go kick an abusive boyfriends ass or kidnap her for a cry. Heading into a Vampire den was NOT on her list of things to do before she died.

Beau gripped the steering wheel and he admitted, "Angela's been dating Edward Cullen for the past month and knows he's a Vampire.

"I- I- may have confronted Bella at school? Anyways she invited me over and said to bring someone who knew if I needed to."

"So you actually decided to come?!" Leah pressed her fingers to her temples, "How do you know Dr. Creepo isn't going to kill us on sight?! Who the hell is she to be inviting us over?!"

"How the hell do I know?!" Beau replied, he was clearly out of his depth and Leah wondered for a moment if that was going to be how it was for the rest of her life. Beau doing stupid shit because his heart led and his mind was always left somewhere three turns back.

"Up until like 3 days ago I thought Bella was Mated to Edward!"

Letting out a long sigh, Leah reminded herself that while she didn't need her brace anymore, her arm was still a little delicate and smacking her friend over the head was not on the menu.

"There are 9 Vampires at the end of this road," Leah reminded him through gritted teeth, "9, that's one short of double digits."

"9 Vampires and Angela," Beau corrected as if it mattered, "Because she's already there right now."

"Oh and what the hell are the 3 of us going to do if one of them gets a bit snackish?!" Leah couldn't help herself, she was pissed that he'd been so thoughtless. Especially when it involve Vampires,

"I"m sure Little Miss Blood Sucker was thinking you would bring Sam for protection Beau!"

Fortunately Beau cringed and very contritely said, "I'm sorry! I know! I just panicked because I didn't know how to tell Sam and I think I'm getting in way to deep."

"Hell yeah you are," Leah rolled her eyes but let the anger she was feeling release as best as she could, "If you get eaten, I'm not gonna avenge you."

"Yeah, that's fair," Beau sighed and he sounded half serious as he turned into a sudden clearing.

The house was nothing like it used to be.

Leah had been taken along that old forest path a million times as she and Sam grew up. Holding hands and walking the woods he'd take her to stand at a distance from 'The Vampire House'.

It had been over grown with weeds and several trees, and the house itself had clearly seen better days. Even though there was sometimes and inspector who would come by an check the foundations and the like.

Now though, that old house had been torn down and in it's place, a gloriously semi elevated mansion crafted from glass, oak, and black steel.

It was unlike any home she'd seen in her life.

Giving a low whistle Leah tried not to let he jaw drop at the sight of it, "That's thing's expensive looking as hell."

"I'm gonna hurl," Beau informed her sensibly.

Parking the Beast, Beau turned to her and said, "You don't have to get off. Just knowing you're out here will be good enough for me."

"Shut up," Leah replied but she couldn't put fire behind it, "You're not hanging out with Vampires without me, this is like our universe's equivalent of joining a gang."

Beau snorted and Leah was glad she'd been able to loosen him up, he wasn't supposed to be a martyr.

It just wasn't' their style.

Together they got out of the truck and Beau reached out, and Leah took his hand in solidarity. They were going to do this together. Beau was doing it for Angela and Leah was doing it for Beau.

A weird set of dominoes since Angela was doing it for a Blood Drinking Demon but you couldn't be picky about your friends when your life was like theirs.

Many shocking things occurred as the got to the porch.

The first was that when normally Leah would have knocked, Dr. Cullen immediately opened the door like an actual freak. It was unsettling with how simple the gesture of inhumanity was.

Because the house was made of glass, he likely heard and saw them coming miles away and because he had a whole 9 God damned Vampires in the house, Leah figured knocking was probably like tapping the glass on the fish bowl to them.

Second was the girl that was not a girl with him.

Tucked under his arm, leaning into him far more intimately than a sibling or friend, was a girl who couldn't be more than 17 or 18. Leah noticed instantly that the hand that the girl had not wrapped around the Doctor, was splayed on his chest almost possessively.

"Welcome to our home Beau," Carlisle smiled and it actually would have looked kind if he wasn't so terryfyinly handsome as he offered his hand for a shake, "Whose your friend?"

Beau took his hand and seemed to be internally screaming as he choked out the reply of, "This is my friend Leah Clearwater. Leah Clearwater, this is Dr. Cullen."

"Just Carlisle is fine. It's good to meet you Leah," Carlisle turned to her then and offered a hand which Leah took a bit awkwardly. His hand was like an actual bag of ice only it wasn't wet and melty.

"This is my wife Bella," the Vampire was beaming with pride practically, oozing it through his pores like it was going out of style.

Bella then shook Leah's hand too. The Vampire lady then encouraged, "Come on in! Elisha just made lunch so if you wnat to join him and Angela feel free."

"Lunch?" the word stumbled out of Beau's mouth but Leah was glad he said it because she had thought she'd lost it for a second from all the smug smiling Dr. Vampire seemed so eager to do.

"C'mon," Bella then practically danced out from under the Doctor's arm but grabbed his hand before tugging him forcefully along which elicited a laugh out of him as he practically chased after her.

Leah swallowed hard at the sight of them as she held Beau's hand tighter. Together they followed the Vampires deeper into the house and as they did, Leah was hit with an aroma that was completely out of place in the house of Blood Sucking Creatures.

"Is that biscuits?" She whispered and Beau appeared equally confused as they fully entered the home and found kitchen.

Leah had to keep her jaw from falling through the floor at the sight of a strawberry blond man sitting on a bar stool at the counter munching on a pig in the blanket. Next to him Angela was dipping her own bread wrapped hot dog into mustard.

There was a whole pan of the things on the counter elevated by a cooling rack and between the Angela and the man was a sizable basket of french fries.

The man turned to the Doctor and Bella with a smile, "Angela says hot dogs aren't an appropriate lunch."

"I didn't say that!" Angela laughed brightly, "I said my mom never let me have them!"

"Same thing Webber," the man grinned before he popped a fry into his mouth, "I'm highly offended."

"Beau and Leah are here," Bella announced and Angela turned fully to them as she adjusted her purple framed glasses. Her smiled grew as she hopped off the bar stool she was sitting at and bounded over to where Beau and Leah stood.

It was like a scene out of a dream as everything was happening.

"Elisha makes his own sausages so it's not so bad as a store bought one, apparently his brothers don't like cured meat," Angela informed them then laughed.

Leah knew she should have realized Elisha was the one eating with Angela since Bella had said so, but she had thought the Vampire girl meant that he'd made the Human girl food.

"Elisha, Beau and Leah," Dr. Vampire introduced, "Beau and Leah, this is our son Elisha."

Elisha took another fry and waved it before taking a bite, "Feel free to take up mom and dad's offer of lunch, I'll only eat about 4 of these and Angela's a wimp."

Angela rolled her eyes, but gestured to the bar, "C'mon."

And then, like this happened everyday, Angela sat back down next to the weird food eating man that was living in a house full of Vampires.

Leah had no idea what to do.

She was in this situation for Beau and she didn't care if she offended them or not by rejecting their food but Beau was leading so she followed him as he joined Angela at the bar.

He plopped down on the stool next to her before he addressed Elisha with a simple, "Thanks Mr. Cullen."

Leah managed not to run out of the house proclaiming herself 'out' as she instead sat next to Beau and watch him actually start to eat one of the pigs in a blanket.

"It's Elisha here," the man assured Beau as he grabbed a hot dog off the tray, "I'm 189 not dead."

Beau choked on his own spit and for once in her life Leah imitated her friend's style of bumbling his way through life,

"If you're a Vampire how come you can eat regular food?"

Her eyes were narrowed as her suspicion over the guy grew. The more she looked at him the less he looked like Bella and Dr. Weirdo who had dragged his so called wife just over to the living room where they were sitting pretending to read like Human beings.

"First of all," Elisha's tone grew a bit facetious, "All food is regular food if you eat it often enough, and second I'm only Half Vampire on my late Mother's side."

There was a snort and Leah's attention turned to the sound of several someone's barreling down the stairs.

"Bella's gonna smack you if you keep telling people she's dead," a blond boy who looked around her own age declared followed by a tiny black haired girl who had to be under 5 feet tall.

"Oh!" the girl scrunched up her perfectly freaky little button nose, "You guys do smell like dogs."

"Alice, you haven't' introduced yourself Honey," Bella called almost absently from her place in the living room and the tiny girl startled.

"Right! Sorry! I'm Alice and this is my Jasper!"

The blond boy waved stiffly, as he seemed to be getting a good look at them, "I can barely smell Angela at all with you two here."

"That's kind of creepy Jazz," Elisha informed the blond boy as he took an overlarge bite of his pig in a blanket.

Leah had the stunning realization that this was what it must feel like to be going insane.

“Where’s Edward?” Beau somehow managed to ask and Leah kind of wondered if it was because he never actually thought to hard about things that he was able to function properly at the moment.

“He’ll be in,” Alice smiled as if she had a secret before she and Jasper began making their way towards the living room where Jasper sat on the sofa and Alice rather unnecessarily sat on his lap.

“Why are we here?!” Leah forced out and Bella looked up from her book.

“It’s family game night.”

“Huh?” Beau sounded dumbfounded and Leah pushed forwards now that she had been able to form a coherent thought,

“And you invited us over for family game night?”

“Yes,” Carlisle replied smoothly turning a page of his book as if he hadn’t finished it a whole minute ago.

“You have family game night?!” Beau asked, because he knew how to get to the heart of an issue when he wanted to.

“Don’t most people?” a new voice declared. Leah’s eyes locked onto the source which was a boy climbing into the house from the tree outside through a functioning window in the vaulted ceiling.

His hair was copper and his eyes were gold like all the others. Leah noticed his clothes were a bit mussed and she realized that he must have come in from a hunt.

Where he drank blood.

“I told you Edward would be in!” Alice chimed from her place in Jasper's lap and Angela put down her fry before wiping her hands on a dish towel, then practically skipping towards the boy who scaled one of the pillars in order to get down into the living room.

“You haven’t finished eating,” Edward frowned but Leah didn’t think he looked anything but concerned.

“Elisha’s trying to fatten her up for the harsh winter,” Bella declared from her place next to Dr. Vampire causing Angela to snort and Edward to smile.

“Bella’s right,” Angela nodded humored, “I’m already full.”

Edward kissed the girl on her forehead and asked, “Whose your friend Beau?”

“This is Leah,” Beau replied a bit awkwardly, “She’s a Clearwater.”

“Right,” Edward nodded at her but didn’t seem as opened as he was towards Angela. Which suited Leah just fine as the other girl held the Vampire’s hand. The whole thing kind of sent shivers down Leah’s spine at the though of Angela actually kissing that...

Thing.

The Copper haired boy paused like he’d gotten a brain hiccup, then smiled mischievously, “Rosalie and Emmett will be in right now, so brace yourselves.”

It was then that another woman came down the stairs, she practically floated on each step and Leah held Beau’s hand tighter to the point she was kind of getting worried that she was going to rip a finger off.

“Hello, you must be Leah and Beau then!” the woman smiled and if she didn’t look like a haunted doll, Leah would have thought she looked kind.

“Yeah,” Leah replied a bit uneasily. Now that they were surrounded by Vampires with more coming she was really starting to get nervous over the whole 1 short of double digits thing.

“I’m Esme,” she practically twinkled before Elisha came over and tried to kiss her.

“Elisha Cullen if you try to kiss me before you wash your mouth I’m going to move to Alaska for the next 4 years.”

The man laughed but kissed her on the cheek instead of the lips which was apparently a suitable compromise for Esme.

Leah still hadn’t figured out how Elisha was alright with eating regular food while the others were drinking blood still.

“I thought you were bringing Sam!” A huge burly man boy barreled into the same window Edward had. On his back was a blond woman who was even more beautiful and terrifying than all the other Vampire women in the room.

Then, unlike Edward who had kind of gracefully scampered down, the big guy sort of just dropped himself and landed with a thud so loud Leah and Beau both cringed back and she half expected him to fall through the floor.

“Emmett Cullen so help me if you break my house I’m going to break you,” Bella scolded him as if he’d just dragged muddy snow into the house and not practically fallen from the ceiling. The blond girl very daintily dropped off his back and tossed Leah and Beau chilling look.

“Emmett, Rosalie, these are Angela’s friends, Beau and Leah,” Edward introduced briskly.

“What’s up?” Emmett gave a jut of his chin while Rosalie said nothing. Leah tried to take them all in and saw Dr. Vampire exchange another weirdly smug look with Bella before she yanked his book from his hands and placed it with her’s on a coffee table.

“Let’s scramble then!” Bella announced cheerfully.

Angela turned to where Leah and Beau were still sitting in the kitchen, “That means no Mated teams.”

“Right,” Beau nodded and Leah followed him as they made their way to the living room like stepping over into another reality.

“I call dibs on mom!” Jasper piped up suddenly and everyone groaned as Edward complained,

“NO! You and Bella can’t play as a team anymore I said so right now.”

Bella laughed but didn’t say anything as Rosalie chimed in, “Beside, I called dibs on mom before we went out hunting so you lose.”

“I’ve got Carlisle,” Alice cheered and Leah watched them all scramble and she some how ended up sitting next to Emmett as he was explaining to her how a Cullen Burn Out tourney worked.

Beau looked equally as frazzled in his place sitting next to Edward and Leah tried her best not to think about the fact that Dr. Strange was leaning the back of his head against Bella’s knees from where he sat on the floor in front of her place on the sofa while the Vampire girl ran her fingers through his hair as she listened to Alice who was saying something about how her controller being bad with drift.

It was all very surreal since no one else seemed to be so blatantly touching each other, and content to argue with their partner instead of paying rather blatant attentions to their Mate.

Rosalie who was sitting on the floor next to the Doctor didn’t even seem to care that her partner was being monopolized.

Leah had to breath slowly and tell herself that she was there for Beau.

Beau was the reason she agreed to this.

Because this family was the reason her life fell apart. If Sam had never Phased they’d be happily getting ready to graduate and go off to college together. Hoping their dorms at Washington State were close enough together that they could cut it close to curfew.

He’d have never Imprinted on Emily and Leah would be still blissfully in love.

It was hard.

And she lost every race much to Emmett’s displeasure, but he was at least nice about it as if he could tell she was close to an actual breakdown. With his freaky Vampire senses he might have been.

About the time she was reaching her breaking point Bella actually leaned over to her and whispered, “If you need a human moment no one will mind, but if your distress is something else Jasper could help for a bit.”

“Huh?” Leah felt like she’d grown another head but the Vampire girl continued stroking Dr. Doctor’s head as she said,

“Jasper is an empath and can share emotions. He’s quite good for calming down jitters.”

It was almost alien to hear.

That they had powers like in a comic book. Leah shifted her eyes over the room and wondered who had what.

“I’m fine,” she said, steel blooming in her spine, unwilling to take a hand out from the creatures that put her in this position anyways.

And she was fine.

Leah focused on Beau who was somehow already relaxed and having a good time, and she wasn’t nervous again.

* * *

Later.

Much later.

Leah would realize that Bella and Dr. Cullen were so affectionate around her and Beau because they never got to be affectionate around humans.

Ever.

At all.

Because he was supposed to be a 32 year old Doctor while she was in high school.

Which Leah had completely forgotten because they’d always been Vampires first and foremost in her head and who knew how freaking old half of them really were. Dr. Cullen was probably at least 800 with the way he talked like a dictionary sometimes and Bella occasionally acted like she was taken straight from a medieval castle and plopped into the 21st century.

Leah hadn’t planned to go over more than once, because Beau had invited her for courage and if he wanted to go over again she didn’t think he’d need her.

But when Beau and Edward went for a really long ride, like all the way to Seattle long, the chance to go again arrived.

And Leah did.

Only God knew why because not even Leah could say.

Perhaps she liked feeling like her brain was going to implode, or it was because it felt like stepping into another universe slightly to the left of her own to be around them and so very far away from Sam and everything he brought with him.

She didn’t like the Cullens.

Leah didn’t think she ever would.

Slowly though, she found there wasn’t a reason to hate them either.

They just existed like every other damn creature in the world and the more she learned about them, the more Beau puzzled them out sharing his feelings about them, their relationships, powers, and oddities....

Well Leah realized they were like an Undead Brady Bunch behind closed doors.

And wasn’t that mind boggling?

She wasn’t friends with any of them, not by a long shot, if anything the closest thing to friendship she had with any of them was the intense stare downs her and Rosalie got into on occasion.

Even then the blonde never said a word to Leah and Leah was glad for it.

The more time she spent around them, and got used to them, the more she seemed to become anxious and irritated in their presence which she didn’t understand. Leah had started to accept their wacky version of family and suddenly she was feeling like she was having a break down every time Beau wanted to hang out with Emmett, who he’d apparently hit it off with.

Hence the staring contests with Rosalie.

Leah got sick with something like the flu and Beau quarantined her in his room only breaking the seal to bring her soup.

Then one day she heard a sound like yelling, in the living room while she was trying to sleep.

Something terrifyingly similar to a gunshot sounded off and it turned out that Jacob had punched Bella in the face like the absolute moron that he was which caused all hell to break loose.

So, feeling like her insides were about to come up out of her throat she’d forced Beau to drag her to the God damned forest picnic everyone had decided to have so she could hold Angela’s fucking hand and give her support because Jasper was about to actually lose his mind.

Carlisle was acting like an actual crazy person frothing at the mouth and Edward was climbing the walls with all the rest of his siblings so apparently Bella and Leah were the only sane ones left.

Of course she had to come.

Leah cursed the day she refused to stay in that death trap of a truck and insisted on hanging out with Vampires.

Then she Phased, gave her dad a heart attack, imprinted on Beau and kind of fell in love with Carlisle as a professional for how bad ass he’d been as he saved her father despite the stubborn old man insisting that Jacob hadn’t actually done anything wrong when he broke the Treaty and proceeded to try and murder Dr. Cullen’s ACTUAL Soulmate.

As Leah sat in the Emergency room with Bella holding her hand and Carlisle worked tirelessly to make sure she had a father in the morning, she realized that despite her insistence that she didn’t actually like the Cullens they may in fact have liked her.

Beau held her other hand and Leah had never felt like she had more people in her corner in her life.

A fact which was fortunate because Leah quickly learned that she was now a slave to her instinct.

So. After Dr. Cullen had confirmed that her father was out of the woods, Charlie Swan had finished practically crying thanking the Vampire man for saving his friend, and only Beau was left holding Leah’s hand, she had a choice to make.

Either she got down on her knees and groveled, pleaded, and begged Sam to accept her into the pack so that she could have a grounding influence and wouldn’t be at risk of hurting people with her new abilities...

Or.

Or, because that or was important.

Leah could trust that Beau would be enough to keep her in line and ask the house full of Vampires for help. All while dealing with the fact that her rather still new best friend was her Soulmate or some shit.

Naturally she chose the second option.

Because the healing had already done was not worth reversing, she wasn’t going to be a pathetic girl that Sam couldn’t escape! Leah was going to fight, and prove she didn’t need him or any one else.

Well, technically she needed the Cullens and Beau, but she preferred working towards independence over whatever the hell would have happened if she went back home.

What she didn’t expect was for Carlisle Cullen to look her straight in the eye and say, “No. Not without permission from at least your father and one other member of the Council, preferably Sam.”

“I’m an adult,” Leah informed him through gritted teeth, she could hear the rest of the Cullens running around inside the house trying to make themselves busy while she stood on the lawn with Dr. Cullen addressing her from his porch like some sort of gatekeeper.

“But you’re still technically under your father’s house and a member of the Quileute Nation,” His tone was bordering on apologetic as he informed her,

“I will not do anything that might anger them or endanger our Treaty thus my family. All reparations have been made and I won’t go stealing their first ever female Wolf from them.”

“You won’t be! I came here because I wanted to!” Leah felt like a desperate child and was glad that Beau was behind her leaning against his stupid ass truck, it calmed her.

“That’s how they will view it though,” Dr. Cullen said with finality as he put his hands on his hips before very humanly gesturing to the forest driveway with a nod,

“So until you can bring Sam and your father here to confirm their approval I can’t help. I’m sorry.

”I’ll now have to ask you leave since this parlay is over and you will soon be trespassing on our land.”

With that, her standing invitation to their home was revoked.

It hurt.

That they’d stood with her up until that moment and as Leah climbed into Beau’s truck she raged about how she had thought they liked her. How when Bella held her hand that night she believed the ageless girl would be willing to keep holding it.

“They’re Vampires,” Beau suddenly said and Leah stared at him in confusion as he cut her off mid rant.

“I know that Beau!” Leah knew she was being cruel as she rolled her eyes, “It’s their fault i Phased in the first place!”

“I mean,” Beau trudged on as if he wasn’t offended by her clear outrage, “In like 3 more years they’ll never see you again.

“The Cullens will move back here in 2076 or some shit and be like ‘remember that nice girl Leah? Oh it’s too bad we couldn’t help her’ and that will be it.

“They have to think about that stuff. Carlisle can’t help you and get the tribe angry because then whoever’s great grand kids who won’t remember their intention but just the fact that they trained you against the tribe’s wishes will want to run them out of town.”

Leah stared at Beau.

Really stared as his eyes were on the road.

It was funny.

Everyone was so busy talking about Imprinting and Bonding like it was this magical thing and while the moment it happened Leah had practically been knocked off her feet, she just couldn’t understand what made everyone else want to make out when it happened.

Because there Beau was driving, being the force of nature that he was as he pinned her down to the Earth and wasn’t afraid to remind her that the Cullens had a much wider scope to worry about than her in that slice of a moment compared to their limited eternity.

it stung, being reminded that she was just a small little blip on their radar. That she’d only been welcomed because Angela.

Angela who had so much of their focus because she’d be with them when they theoretically moved back to Forks in 2076.

“Harry’s never going to say yes,” Leah choked out as her anger turned to upset at the realization that Beau had given her.

“There’s always a third option Leah,” Beau tossed her a shy smile, the kind she couldn't help but think he always had before saying something recklessly amazing,

“We could always train in the forest just me an you, after all, you could never hurt me.”

And he was right.

She had Imprinted on the fool, so she should know.


End file.
